Concern expressed over backtracking on ‘digital Pakistan’ commitments

Pakistan is diverting away from its earlier commitments for ‘digital Pakistan’ and there is an urgent need to connect more people for a resilient digital society, GSMA Asia Pacific head Julian Gorman said on Thursday. GSMA, an association of global mobile network operators, had been expressing concern over policy shifts by the government regarding the telecom sector, leading to high cost of doing business. Mr Gorman held a virtual meeting with Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Syed Aminul Haque to discuss financial health and sustainability of the telecom industry in Pakistan, said a statement released by the ministry after the meeting. The minister apprised Mr Gorman of the preparations to launch 5G for commercial use for which steps have been taken after consultation with the World Bank, telecom industry and international stakeholders.