The issue of poor mobile phone services in Punjab’s southern districts came under scrutiny as a member of the National Assembly Standing Committee on IT and Telecom raised concerns over the failure of telecom companies to expand their networks in commercially viable areas of Rajanpur and Dera Ghazi Khan.

MNA Ammar Leghari, who represents one of Punjab’s southernmost districts, told the committee that residents in Rajanpur and DG Khan continue to face inadequate mobile coverage despite the presence of commercially viable locations where telecom operators could establish new sites.

“Even in areas that are commercially viable, telecom companies are not installing sites,” Leghari said, highlighting the persistent connectivity problems faced by communities across the two districts.

He said surveys had been conducted in Rajanpur and Dera Ghazi Khan over the past two years to identify areas requiring improved telecom coverage, but operators had yet to establish the required sites.

The delay, according to Leghari, has left residents struggling with poor mobile connectivity despite the identification of locations where network expansion could be commercially feasible.

The matter highlights a broader challenge for Pakistan’s digital expansion, where connectivity gaps remain particularly visible in remote and less-developed areas. Weak mobile coverage can affect not only voice calls but also mobile internet access, online education, digital businesses, freelancing and access to increasingly digital public services.

The committee chairman directed the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to intervene and resolve the issue of delayed site installation in Rajanpur and Dera Ghazi Khan.

The committee’s direction puts the regulator under pressure to engage telecom operators and determine why identified commercially viable sites have remained undeveloped despite surveys being carried out over the last two years.

For residents of the two districts, the issue goes beyond network quality. Reliable connectivity has increasingly become essential infrastructure for economic activity, education and communication, making the expansion of mobile networks a critical requirement for communities outside Pakistan’s major urban centres.