Syed Saif Ul Hassan 
Nov 23, 2025
An undated image of Telenor and PTCL logo. — Telenor/PTCL/Canva
A prerequisite to Pakistan's 5G spectrum auction, PTCL's Telenor acquisition, is reportedly on the horizon as Pakistan inches closer to launching 5G.
Worth billions of rupees, the PTCL-Telenor merger is expected to improve PTCL's position in Pakistan's hard-fought telecom sector ahead of the country's first major 5G rollout. Under the PTCL acquisition, Telenor Pakistan will become a wholly owned subsidiary of PTCL.
In light of this, the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) referred the PTCL-Telenor merger to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) in October for a thorough sector review. The PTA then conducted hearings with major telecom operators, including Jazz, Zong, and Wateen, wherein they expressed concerns regarding market competition and the merger's disruptive toll on the market competition.
While both the merger and the subsequent 5G auction have been reeling with delays, thanks to bureaucratic and regulatory inefficiencies, the telecom regulator will likely issue the crucial No-Objection Certificate (NOC) by November 30, TechJuice reported, citing sources.
After securing the NOC, PTCL is planning to seek final approvals from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and the Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP).
While the ownership transfer is being sped up, it was also reported that the complete operational and legal merger may take six months to a year, requiring further PTA approval and a court-sanctioned Amalgamation Order.
If conducted successfully, the PTCL-Telenor merger is believed to reshape Pakistan's telecom landscape ahead of 5G rollout and its adoption.
