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October 1, 2026
PTA has proposed removing the one-year limit for reconsidering telecom merger and transaction approvals, allowing the regulator to revisit decisions when market conditions or other relevant circumstances change.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has proposed removing the one-year limit for reconsidering telecom merger and transaction approvals under the draft Telecommunication Competition Rules, 2026.
According to ProPakistani and Raised by Numbers, PTA has suggested replacing the existing one-year review period with wording that would allow it to reconsider decisions “as and when required.”
The proposal forms part of PTA’s comments on rules prepared by the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication. Under the ministry’s draft, PTA could currently review, revise, modify or withdraw a determination or approval within one year of issuance.
PTA’s proposed amendment would allow telecom transaction approvals to be revisited if market conditions change, new regulatory concerns emerge, or material facts or information become available after the original decision.
The proposed rules cover mergers, acquisitions, amalgamations, joint ventures, transfers of control, spectrum consolidation and restructuring where transactions could materially affect competition, market concentration, infrastructure access, consumer welfare or continuity of telecom services.
Following a review, PTA could issue a no-objection certificate, impose transaction-specific conditions, require behavioural or operational safeguards, or make recommendations to another competent authority.
The proposal comes as the finalisation of the Telecommunication Competition Rules, 2026 remains subject to a broader jurisdictional dispute between PTA and the Competition Commission of Pakistan over competition-related authority.
PTA’s proposed wording would therefore remove the fixed one-year window and create a mechanism for reconsidering telecom transaction approvals when circumstances warrant.
