The federal government has confirmed in the Senate of Pakistan that mobile phone operators raised monthly package prices by 20 to 50 percent during the current fiscal year.
Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja told the House that the telecom sector is under intense financial pressure. She said these conditions made price adjustments unavoidable.
She explained that between March 2021 and May 2024, fuel prices jumped by 158 percent. Inflation rose by 77 percent. The Pakistani rupee also lost 44 percent of its value against the US dollar. During the same period, the policy rate increased by 214 percent, sharply raising financing costs for telecom companies.
The minister rejected claims that any monthly package jumped directly from Rs600 to Rs1,500. She said the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has not received such a case. However, she confirmed that operators gradually increased prices. These hikes covered packages moving from Rs999 to Rs1,499 and from Rs1,500 to Rs1,799 during fiscal year 2024–25.
Shaza Fatima noted that despite higher costs, the mobile sector’s average annual revenue growth over the past five years remained at just 9 percent. In contrast, average annual inflation stood at 17 percent. This gap, she said, has reduced the overall value of the telecom industry.
On regulation, she said the Pakistan Telecommunication (Reorganisation) Act 1996 and Mobile Tariff Regulations 2025 require operators with Significant Market Power to seek prior approval before changing tariffs. She confirmed that Jazz falls under this category, making its tariffs subject to PTA approval.
She added that the regulator retains the authority to intervene if any operator’s pricing harms consumer interests.
