Pakistan’s 5G Delay, Lowest Spectrum Allocation in Region, and IT Minister’s Absence Spark Concern at GSMA Summit

The telecom industry has voiced strong reservations over the absence of Federal Minister for IT and Telecom Shaza Fatima Khawaja from the high-profile GSMA Digital Nation Summit held in Islamabad on Thursday.

The event, attended by key local and international stakeholders, aimed to spotlight Pakistan’s digital potential and challenges, but the minister’s no-show raised eyebrows across the sector.

Held at a local hotel, the one-day summit brought together senior representatives from the IT industry, international digital experts, and regulatory bodies, including Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman, Gen (R) Hafeez Ur Rehman. Several stakeholders expressed disappointment, stating that Minister Shaza Fatima’s absence from such a significant forum was “unfortunate.”

Speaking at the summit, Julian Gorman, Head of Asia Pacific at GSMA, criticized Pakistan’s delayed 5G spectrum auction and low IMT spectrum allocation (the lowest in the region), calling it a major barrier to digital transformation.

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“Pakistan has the passion, vision, and potential to become a digital power, but policy obstacles are hindering progress,” Gorman said. He pointed to high spectrum prices, heavy sector-specific taxes, and regulatory uncertainty as key factors deterring investment. “At a time when affordable, high-quality connectivity is most needed, these challenges cannot be ignored.”

PTA Chairman Hafeez Ur Rehman emphasized the importance of public awareness through social media and reaffirmed the authority’s commitment to broadband and fiber connectivity improvements. He noted that Pakistan is connected to seven international submarine cables, with additional cables underway, and that over 1,200 new mobile towers are installed annually.

During the summit, GSMA launched a new report titled “Realising Pakistan’s Digital Vision: Reforms, Trust and Opportunity”, outlining the policy actions required to reduce the country’s mobile internet usage gap and accelerate digital growth in the Asia Pacific region. The report advocates for urgent and comprehensive spectrum reforms to unlock Pakistan’s full digital potential.