The National Assembly Standing Committee on Information Technology on Tuesday voiced concerns that the merger of Telenor Pakistan and Ufone could further affect mobile service quality if existing network issues are not addressed.

During the meeting, lawmakers criticized telecom operators over persistent complaints of poor network performance and unreliable mobile connectivity across the country.

Committee Chairman Syed Amin Ul Haque said Ufone’s service quality had deteriorated significantly, while committee member Rana Iradat Sharif cautioned that Telenor subscribers could also experience poorer service after the merger.

The committee directed officials of Pak Telecom Mobile Limited (PTML), which operates Ufone and will absorb Telenor Pakistan, to appear before its next meeting to explain how the company plans to improve service standards following the integration.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) also told the committee that it was not claiming any improvement in the quality of service, although it expects network performance to improve gradually as the rollout of 5G expands.

The committee further urged the PTA to take stricter action against operators that fail to meet regulatory quality-of-service standards.