Islamabad: Members of the National Assembly from both the government and opposition strongly criticized mobile phone companies during the question hour of a parliamentary session, citing widespread poor internet connectivity across Pakistan, particularly in Balochistan.
During the National Assembly session, lawmakers raised serious concerns over inadequate mobile and internet services, stating that poor connectivity is affecting education, employment opportunities, and daily life across the country.
National Assembly Member Pauline Baloch highlighted the severe digital divide in Balochistan, saying that internet facilities are extremely insufficient and that large parts of the province remain completely deprived of reliable connectivity.
Several MNAs pointed out that students are facing major difficulties in applying online for admissions and jobs due to unstable or non-existent internet services. Responding to the concerns, the Parliamentary Secretary informed the House that only 273 megahertz of spectrum is currently available, which is insufficient to meet internet speed requirements. He added that a 600 megahertz spectrum auction is scheduled for next month.
According to the Parliamentary Secretary, once the spectrum increases from 273 MHz to 600 MHz, internet speeds across the country are expected to double.
Speaker of the National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq also expressed concern, stating that mobile services frequently fail on major highways, including the Islamabad–Lahore and Islamabad–Peshawar motorways.
MNA Sanaullah Mastikhel said that mobile signals are unavailable on the Islamabad–CPEC motorway and the Mianwali–Bhakkar MM Road, adding that even internet services inside Parliament Lodges remain unreliable. “If internet does not function properly in Parliament, one can imagine the situation in Balochistan,” he remarked.
The Parliamentary Secretary further stated that Rs52 billion has been allocated through the Universal Service Fund (USF) to improve mobile and internet coverage in Balochistan, claiming that the province has received the highest funding.
However, Pauline Baloch questioned the effectiveness of the spending, asking why Balochistan continues to face the most severe internet problems despite receiving the largest allocation.
