Members of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication voiced strong criticism on Monday regarding the declining quality of mobile services across Pakistan. They called on the government to actively engage with Apple and encourage the tech giant to establish operations within the country.
Chaired by Syed Aminul Haque, the committee examined various aspects of the telecom sector, including mobile network performance, the ongoing 5G rollout, taxation on smartphones, and the progress of local mobile phone manufacturing.
Committee members expressed frustration over the persistent deterioration in mobile connectivity, highlighting that consumers continue to suffer from poor service despite years of discussions and promises for improvement. Mahesh Kumar, a long-serving committee member, remarked that he was fatigued by repeatedly addressing telecom service issues without seeing tangible results.
Sadiq Memon added that mobile services have become increasingly unreliable recently, with users in major urban centers such as Islamabad and Karachi experiencing frequent call disruptions and degraded call quality.
Responding to these concerns, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Major General (Rtrd) Hafeez Ur Rehman explained that while the regulator previously conducted quality-of-service surveys jointly with telecom operators, it now performs independent assessments at the district level. He acknowledged that the PTA does not claim any current improvement in service quality but expressed optimism that the nationwide 5G rollout would gradually enhance network performance.
IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja emphasized the rapid growth in mobile data consumption over recent years, underscoring the urgent need for network upgrades. She noted that Pakistan has completed the 5G spectrum auction and is moving into the rollout phase, although the country remains heavily dependent on imported telecom infrastructure.
The committee also addressed the issue of smartphone taxation. The PTA chairman described the nearly 60 percent tax burden on mobile phones as excessive and noted that the PTA regularly recommends tax reductions through the Ministry of IT. He clarified that the PTA does not impose taxes or set rates on devices but is responsible only for whitelisting mobile phones.
Syed Aminul Haque stressed that smartphones are essential tools rather than luxury items and urged the government to reconsider the current tax regime to make digital access more affordable for the public.
Discussion then shifted to local manufacturing, with the PTA chairman informing lawmakers that 37 companies have been licensed to produce mobile phones domestically, which has reduced imports to just 8 percent of the market. Minister Khawaja added that premium smartphones, such as Apple iPhones and Google Pixel devices, continue to be imported and are subject to import duties.
Highlighting Apple’s absence from Pakistan, Aminul Haque questioned why the company has not established a presence in the country, especially since brands like Nokia and Samsung have already done so. He urged the Ministry of IT to engage with Apple, pointing out that the company has expanded into neighboring markets like India and Bangladesh and should be encouraged to invest in Pakistan as well.
