ISLAMABAD

Mounting complaints over Ufone’s network quality reached Pakistan’s Parliament on Thursday as lawmakers openly questioned whether the state-owned mobile operator’s services had effectively “collapsed,” grilling the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) over persistent disruptions, poor connectivity, and declining service standards.

The sharp criticism came during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat, where Committee Chairman Senator Rana Mahmood-ul-Hassan directly challenged the telecom regulator, asking, “Why has Ufone’s service collapsed?” The remarks underscored growing concerns over the operator’s performance as it undergoes a landmark merger with Telenor Pakistan.

PTA Chairman acknowledged the concerns, telling the committee that Ufone is a government-owned company and said the operational issues are expected to be resolved after the completion of the Ufone-Telenor merger in the coming days.

The exchange over Ufone’s network performance emerged as one of the most notable moments of the meeting, highlighting growing parliamentary scrutiny of telecom service quality at a time when the sector is undergoing one of its biggest structural changes in years through the Ufone-Telenor merger.

The PTA chairman informed lawmakers that the merger will result in the formation of a new telecommunications company, describing it as a key step towards strengthening operational efficiency and improving service delivery.

The committee was also informed that Pakistan now has 210 million active SIMs, reflecting continued growth in mobile connectivity. The PTA further disclosed that discussions are underway with NADRA to integrate SIM issuance with the Pak ID platform, allowing citizens to obtain new SIMs digitally from their homes.

During the discussion, Senator Saleem Mandviwalla also questioned Pakistan’s progress towards adopting eSIM technology, noting that many countries have already embraced digital SIMs while Pakistan continues to rely largely on conventional SIM cards.