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In a major step toward reshaping Pakistan’s telecom landscape, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has granted conditional approval to Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited for its acquisition of Telenor Pakistan, marking a breakthrough in one of the industry’s most closely watched transactions.
Regulatory officials confirmed that the authority had formally asked PTCL to state whether it accepted all conditions tied to the merger and acquisition process. PTCL has now conveyed unconditional acceptance, clearing a key regulatory hurdle that had held up the multi-billion-rupee deal for several months.
The development sets the stage for the final round of regulatory processing and positions the transaction for completion in the coming weeks. The authority’s conditional clearance indicates satisfaction with PTCL’s assurances related to service continuity, consumer protection, network integration, and strict post-merger compliance obligations.
Industry analysts say that once fully approved, the acquisition will consolidate PTCL Group’s standing as Pakistan’s second-largest telecom operator and bring an end to Telenor’s nearly twenty-year presence in the country. They also note that the deal is expected to influence market competition ahead of the next spectrum auction, particularly in mobile broadband and enterprise segments.
With PTCL’s unconditional acceptance now on record, the merger timeline is expected to accelerate as remaining procedural and administrative steps move toward closure. The transaction marks one of the most significant structural shifts in Pakistan’s telecom sector in recent years.
