ISLAMABAD: The Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly unanimously adopted a joint resolution on Tuesday, requesting Prime Minister Imran Khan and the federal government to grant provisional provincial status to the northern area and provide suitable representation to it in the country’s parliament and other state institutions.
The resolution was moved by Chief Minister Khalid Khurshid Khan in the third session of the assembly. He was supported by various opposition politicians.
The Gilgit-Baltistan assembly asked the government to table a constitutional amendment bill for that purpose and get it approved by parliament.
It said the bill should be drafted in a way that it should uphold Pakistan’s “principled stance” on the Kashmir issue, adding that the people of Gilgit-Baltistan would “continue to render moral and political support” to the residents of Indian-administered Kashmir.
Pakistan granted political autonomy to the region in 1999 and allowed it to have a legislative assembly but Pakistani governments have been reluctant to declare it a fifth province. The Supreme Court declared the residents of Gilgit-Baltistan as Pakistani citizens in May 1999 and instructed the government to ensure their constitutional and fundamental rights.
GB locals fought pro-India forces and opted to join Pakistan in 1948. But since then Gilgit-Baltistan has not been granted full inclusion by the Pakistani constitution over fears doing so would jeopardize Islamabad’s international stance that all of Kashmir is disputed territory.
The local assembly has few powers. Pakistan’s National Assembly and Senate have no representation from Gilgit-Baltistan, and the region receives only a fraction of the national budget.
Gilgit-Baltistan assembly adopts unanimous resolution demanding provisional provincial status
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Gilgit-Baltistan assembly adopts unanimous resolution demanding provisional provincial status
- GB has never been granted full inclusion by Pakistan over fears it would jeopardize Islamabad’s stance that all of Kashmir is disputed territory
- The Gilgit-Baltistan local assembly has few powers, National Assembly and Senate have no representation from the northern region
Pakistan sells 480MHz for $507 million in 5G spectrum auction
- Mobile network operator Jazz buys 190 MHz, Ufone 180MHz and Zong 110MHz, says telecom authority chairman
- Most mobile networks in Pakistan currently operate on fourth-generation (4G) infrastructure, while 5G rollout has faced delays
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has sold 480 megahertz (MHz) of fifth-generation (5G) telecom spectrum for $507 million, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) confirmed after a live auction on Tuesday, marking a key step toward introducing faster mobile broadband.
The live auction was organized by the PTA to determine which telecom operators would acquire the frequencies needed to deploy 5G mobile networks across Pakistan.
Pakistan, a country of over 240 million people, is one of the world’s largest telecom markets by population, with over 190 million mobile phone users. However, most networks currently operate on fourth-generation (4G) infrastructure, and the rollout of 5G has faced delays in recent years due to regulatory, economic and spectrum-allocation challenges.
“In total out of 595 MHz, 480 MHz spectrum has been sold today,” PTA Chairman Hafeez-ur-Rehman said in a speech aired on state media. “This is a very big achievement and a big victory for Pakistan, in my opinion.”
Chinese mobile operator Zong bought 110 MHz of the 5G spectrum, while Ufone bought 180 MHz and Veon-backed firm Jazz bought 190 MHz, Rehman announced.
“And the price in total for this is $507 million,” the PTA chairman said.
According to officials, 5G services are expected to be rolled out first in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta cities, before expanding nationwide as network infrastructure develops.
Information Technology Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja has previously said the government is also encouraging wider adoption of 5G-compatible devices, noting that about 95 percent of mobile phones used in
Pakistan are locally manufactured, while premium models such as iPhones and Google Pixel devices are imported.
Officials say Pakistan currently uses around 274 megahertz of spectrum, much of it allocated decades ago, while the new auction will make 600 megahertz of spectrum available for next-generation services.
Under the government’s rollout plan, telecom operators are expected to add roughly 3,000 new network sites annually to support the expansion of 5G services.
PTA officials say Pakistan currently offers some of the world’s cheapest mobile data services and have pledged that consumer protection will remain a priority as the country moves toward next-generation connectivity.
