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Lawmakers sharply criticized Pakistan’s deteriorating mobile and internet services during a tense meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Information Technology. The session, chaired by Syed Amin Ul Haque, quickly shifted into a pointed review of the IT ministry’s role in addressing nationwide connectivity failures.
Sharmila Faruqi, a member of the Provincial Assembly of Sindh, opened the discussion with a blunt assessment of the situation.
“There are quality-of-service issues across the entire country,” she said, noting that some regions still face sudden network shutdowns due to security concerns.
She also pointed out that the Interior Ministry has not shown up for any recent committee meetings. Her remarks reflected growing anger among lawmakers who continue to face service disruptions even inside Parliament House.
Committee members then pressed the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority for answers. Engineer Rana Atiq questioned how operators plan network expansion and whether the regulator offers any direction. PTA officials insisted that tower deployment is handled by operators as a commercial decision. They said the authority only ensures that technical standards are met.
The response did not satisfy lawmakers. Rana Atiq said he still cannot complete a call on Lahore Ring Road and warned that conditions in secondary cities are far worse. His frustration echoed complaints from constituents who regularly demand explanations for persistent outages.
Mahesh Kumar Malani added that parts of Sindh remain stuck on outdated coverage.
He said, “Only 25 percent of areas in Sindh get 4G,” and argued that large districts continue to rely on E signals. He urged the committee to remove the issue from the agenda if the regulator cannot intervene.
Members also claimed that PTA has little visibility into real network conditions. They said that “if PTA conducts a sudden survey in any area, the situation will become clear” and urged the regulator to check problem zones without advance notice.
Zulfiqar Bhatti added that “no one in this committee believes the service is good” and said that “the service is the same today as it was three years ago.”
MNA Pullain Baloch also highlighted long-standing neglect, saying, “No one has visited our area in many years,” and noted that “we do not have internet in our area, and we have knocked on every door.”
The committee also touched on Pakistan’s repeated 5G delays. Lawmakers said the country is falling further behind regional markets as auctions continue to stall. They warned that slow progress would hold back investment and block the introduction of new digital services.
The meeting ended with lawmakers agreeing that the ministry must take immediate responsibility for improving service quality. Their comments marked one of the strongest public rebukes of Pakistan’s telecom oversight in recent months, as pressure grows on the government and regulators to deliver reliable connectivity across the country.
