Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) announced that the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has approved the proposed amalgamation of its subsidiaries, Pak Telecom Mobile Limited (Ufone) and Telenor Pakistan. The approval, granted on March 19, 2026, is subject to the submission of an unconditional acceptance of the regulator’s conditions within 15 days, according to a notice filed with the Pakistan Stock Exchange.
The merger will be implemented through a scheme of arrangement in line with applicable laws and regulatory requirements.
The integration process is expected to take up to four weeks, during which regulators will verify that there are no pending legal issues involving individuals, banks, tax authorities, consumers, or other telecom operators. The review will also require input from the State Bank of Pakistan, the Federal Board of Revenue, and the legal departments of both companies.
The PTA’s no-objection certificate allows Ufone to begin backend integration with Telenor Pakistan, including combining spectrum resources and reducing overlapping telecom towers. The merged entity operates approximately 26,000 towers, many of which are in close proximity, allowing for consolidation and reduced operating costs.
Regulatory conditions include restrictions on shutting down towers shared with other operators, such as Jazz and Zong, and a requirement to provide franchise holders with at least six months’ notice before terminating contracts. Existing Telenor SIM cards will continue to function on the Ufone network, ensuring uninterrupted service for customers during the transition.
Following the merger, the combined Ufone–Telenor entity will have roughly 72.45 million subscribers. Pakistan currently has about 202 million mobile subscribers, with Jazz serving 74.19 million and Zong 53.90 million users. Analysts predict a potential 10 percent decline in the combined subscriber base, as some customers may hold SIM cards from both companies or switch to rival networks.
PTCL had initially signed a share purchase agreement in December 2023 to acquire Telenor Pakistan for approximately $400 million. The transaction was completed in December 2025 after multiple regulatory approvals.
The merger marks a major consolidation in Pakistan’s telecom sector, aimed at improving operational efficiency and expanding the scale of Ufone’s services.
