Pending Court Cases Are Delaying 5G Auction in Pakistan: PTA Chairman

The National Assembly Standing Committee on Information Technology was told on Monday that Pakistan’s long-delayed 5G spectrum auction remains at a standstill due to unresolved court cases involving major telecom operators. Chairman Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Major General (retd) Hafeez-ur-Rehman informed the committee that out of 196 MHz spectrum allocated for future auction, 146 MHz is currently tied up in litigation. These cases have been pending for years, and unless resolved, the spectrum auction cannot proceed, the PTA chairman stated. He further noted that legal uncertainty is affecting auction planning and investor confidence. Federal IT Minister Shaza Fatima said that only 50 MHz is currently available for allocation, while two key cases continue to block the rest. Billions of rupees are stuck. We are pushing the courts for urgent disposal, but delaying tactics are being used, she added. The committee emphasized that the spectrum auction cannot be designed with revenue alone in mind. Committee Chairman Aminul Haq stressed that auction planning must balance financial and technical realities. The committee formed a special sub-committee for reviewing the legal blockages and expediting coordination with the judiciary for quick verdicts. The committee called for a swift resolution of the pending cases to avoid further delays in the launch of 5G services in Pakistan.