The National Assembly Standing Committee on IT and Telecom has expressed deep concern over the deteriorating state of mobile network services in Karachi and its surrounding areas. Chairman of the committee, Syed Aminul Haque, strongly criticized the persistent signal issues in the city. He pointed out that residents frequently experience call drops, weak signals, and overall poor connectivity. He questioned whether extended periods of load-shedding are contributing to the continued network outages.
Responding to the concerns, the Chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), Major General (R) Hafeez ur Rehman, acknowledged that electricity shortages are one of the primary challenges affecting telecom performance. “When load-shedding lasts longer than the available backup power, telecom towers shut down completely,” he explained.
The PTA chief added that during the last week of Ramadan, two telecom operators were issued show-cause notices due to serious lapses in service quality. Despite these actions, network issues continue to affect thousands of users in the region.
Committee member Sharmila Faruqi called the mobile signal problems in Karachi a “national crisis.” She stressed that such frequent and widespread disruptions are unacceptable in a major urban center and demand urgent corrective measures.
The committee called for stronger regulatory oversight and immediate steps from both telecom service providers and the PTA. Members emphasized the need to improve service delivery, invest in infrastructure resilience, and ensure uninterrupted mobile connectivity for the people of Karachi.
