Amir Azeem Bajwa Appointed as the New Chairman PTA

As was speculated, the federal cabinet has appointed Major Gen (Retd) Amir Azeem Bajwa as the new chairman Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).

Bajwa has been appointed for a first term of four years which is extendable for a second one of another four years.

The federal cabinet, in the last week of December, approved the appointment of Major Gen (Retd) Bajwa — former Director General Special Communication Organization (SCO) as Member Technical. As witnessed in the past, Member Technical was appointed as the chairman.

The federal cabinet met with Prime Minister Imran Khan in the chair on Thursday. The body considered a summary of the Cabinet Division for the appointment of chairman PTA from a list of three members.

The Cabinet division had submitted a summary to the federal cabinet which included the names of all the three members including Major Gen (Retd) Amir Azeem Bajwa (Member Technical), Dr. Khawar Saddique Khokhar (Member Compliance) and Mohammad Naveed (Member Finance).

Bajwa has previously served as Director General (DG) Special Communication Organization (SCO) – a military-run telecommunication organization providing services in Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJ&K) and Gilgit Baltistan.

Azeem Bajwa, HI (M), (Colonel Commandant of the Corps of Signals) retired on 16 November 2017 from the Pakistan Army.

The new PTA chairman has a hectic agenda ahead, including the renewal of licenses of three mobile operators, implementation of Telecom Policy as well as the implementation of the cybercrime law in letter and spirit.


  • Khalid Maqbool ny jo promise kia tha September mein 5G ka wo bhool gay ?
    Aor Anusha Rehman bechari kab say keh rahi ha Asia mein sab say pehly 5G Pakistan mein ay ge ?
    License renew krwa leny say 2G he chaly ge ?
    2.5 GHz Band mein (20MHz each) k 2 license ke auction honi chahiy 5G k liy , before first half of this year

    • Stop dreaming 5G in Pakistan before 2023. 5G needs 5G enabled phones which will become common only in 2023 if started in 2019.
      Operators can refarm 2G spectrum for 3G and 4G like Ufone and Jazz did for 900 MHz band.

      • Agr 2G k license pay ap 3G 4G chala sakty ho after refarming to 3G aor 4G ke compatible bands pay 2G b to chala sakty ho ya nhi ?
        Telenor k pas 850 band mein 10 Mhz ha na ?
        Zong data only network ha jin k users decrease ho rahy hein 3G k aor 4G k dramatically increase ho rahy hein ? 2G ke zarorat ? Ao Warid users already Mobilink k license pay shift ho chuky hein aor 3G 4G use kr rahy hein to 2G use krty waqt takleef nhi hoge ? Spectrum to already enough ha ???
        By the end 2G ke zarorat kisi ko b nhi ha ? Ya ha ? Ab her company k pas Millions of users hein ? Aor 2G tower sirf chand customers ko behtar service dy sakta ha jb ziada users connect hoty hein to network problem hoti ha , 3G pay ziada users ko service mil sakti ha as compared to 2G ,
        .
        Mery khyal say 2.1 GHz aor 2.6 GHz ke auction krwa leni chahiy companies ko 5G k liy ? Aik saal tak deploy ho jay ga system tab tak 4G pay spectrum use b kr sakty hein.
        Qualcomm k hisab say 30+ mobile phone 2019 mein market mein aa jaein gy aor 100 say 200 USD mehngy milein gy as compared to other phones , aor Samsung ka 5G phone apko April mein mily ga Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus 5G
        ,
        So 2G k license companies renew krwaien mujhy nhi lagta , baqi dekhty hein kia hota ha

        • 1. First of all majority of users of every network is still on 2G. Zong is leading all companies with 50% 3G/4G users. Still half of their customers are on 2G only. Now just imagine the number of 2G customers of Jazz and Telenor.
          2. 2G does not support 850 MHz band just like 1800 does not support 3G.
          3. Zong and Telenor cannot survive without renewing 2G license. Jazz can survive, but they will prefer to renew on cheaper price rather than buying new on expensive rate some times later. And Abu Dhabi groub is liable to renew Warid license as per the merger agreement. Than why Jazz would mind?
          3. Govt can trigger 3G/4G adoptation by banning 2G only phones. Even feature phones now a days support 3G/4G. If Govt is interested, it can ask PTA not to give type approval to 2G only phones. With the support of 3G/4G feature phones all 2G users can be transferred to 3G/4G.
          4. Now lets come to 5G. 1st of all you need to understand that when 3G/4G launched in Pakistan, most of the users already had compatible phones. Which is not the case in 5G. 5G compatible phones will arrive in 2019 with over 100K PKR price tag in developed countries only. It will almost took 3 years to come in mobiles under the price tag of 10k-60K in Pakistan.
          5. At the start, 5G equipments will be so much expensive, and companies only in developed countries with so much ARPU will adopt. And frankly speaking our ARPU is lowest in the world due to cheap rates (atleast compare our data rates with other markets before argu) and drowning currency.
          6. Companies are already struggling to invest in 3G/4G due to low ARPU and they can not ask their H.Q to give money every year. H.Q also decides investment on the basis of RoI, which is not very good in Pakistan. For example Telenor Pakistan is the lowest revenue generating subsidiary of Telenor, why would they invest So much on 5G in Pakistan at this time? Would you if you were Telenor CEO?
          7. 5G is a thing Pakistani market would be ready for, after atleast 5 years. Dont get excited about it right now, just because Anusha Rehman once said.

    • they should force telecom companies to move into 3G and 4G instead of renewing the 2G license.

  • Stipend sinecure for another connected retired military. Why am I not surprised given the Bajwa shifaarish. No Suo Mutos called in here, at this inequity!

    Seems talent has no place in Pakistan. Old fossils double dipping while youth left out in the cold; left with the alternative of being unemployed or with the prospects of self exile: Beginning allover again, seeking fortunes in foreign lands.

    • You are a tough one Kulsoom, hard as nails. But your words touched me. I know and feel exactly what you have said. I know what you mean. I had to reply.

      I live and work in the US, and MidEast some of the time, but my heart is in Pakistan even though it stole the dreams and expectations of my youth. My heart yearns, my mind often wanders the lanes and byways of Pakistan, it never left home.

      If I could I would gladly exchange the gleaming superhighways and scenic speedways of perfection for the ditches, pot holes and broken roads of Pakistan. Alas…!

  • These people are not satisfied by the wealth and property they have amassed and the pensions they get. They close doors to the younger aspirants, discouraging them from a hopeful future and a righteous living.

  • The retired Generals must not be selected to head any Civilian committees and institutes. They are retired for a reason and also coming from a Military background that is not technical in nature.
    Why we cannot find an under 50 and ambitious engineer to take over this role?. Why a retired General has to head PTA?.

  • Hahaha… Chalo ji. Aik aur player aane wala hai ab Nationwide scene mai. SCO. Ab Zong, Jazz etc sab ko mazeed challenge mille ga


  • Get Alerts

    Follow ProPakistani to get latest news and updates.


    ProPakistani Community

    Join the groups below to get latest news and updates.



    >