Pakistan’s telecom regulator has raised concerns over customer service standards and emergency helpline accessibility after a nationwide survey revealed widespread non-compliance among cellular mobile operators.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) said it conducted a comprehensive Customer Service Key Performance Indicator (KPI) survey covering all mobile operators, including Jazz, Telenor Pakistan, Ufone, Zong and Special Communications Organization (SCOM).

The evaluation reviewed key areas such as helpline accessibility, operator response times, complaint resolution efficiency, issue resolution rates and emergency service connectivity under the Telecom Consumer Protection Regulations 2009.

According to the findings, all major telecom operators exceeded prescribed limits for call center operator access times, indicating prolonged waiting periods for customers seeking assistance.

The regulator also highlighted compliance gaps involving SCOM, which failed to provide mandatory data related to billing accuracy and associated customer complaints.

The survey further exposed discrepancies in emergency helpline routing and mapping across several regions and telecom networks.

Officials identified misrouting of Child Protection Helpline (1121) calls in Gilgit-Baltistan, while essential emergency services including Edhi (115), Pakistan Railways (117), NDMA (911) and Chhipa (1020) were found to be improperly mapped or inaccessible through certain operators.

PTA said the shortcomings require urgent corrective action to ensure reliable and timely emergency communication services nationwide.

On a positive note, the regulator confirmed that a previously reported issue regarding access to PTA’s toll-free helpline from all mobile networks has now been resolved across the industry.

The authority also noted improvements in service reconnection times, with most operators meeting regulatory thresholds during the latest reporting period.

PTA has directed all telecom operators to address the identified deficiencies and submit compliance reports within one month as pressure mounts on the industry to improve customer support standards and service reliability.

The development comes amid increasing parliamentary and public scrutiny over mobile service quality, internet disruptions and consumer protection issues across Pakistan’s telecom sector.