GILGIT – 20 February 2026: Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman retired Major General Hafeez Ur Rehman has said that a separate 5G spectrum auction will be conducted for Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) within months of the nationwide rollout.
The announcement was made during a meeting in Islamabad with GB caretaker Minister for Information Technology Ghulam Abbas to discuss the proposed auction and broader connectivity challenges in the mountainous region.
Abbas emphasised that GB should not lag behind the rest of the country in accessing high-speed internet, highlighting the importance of digital connectivity for e-governance, online education, telemedicine, IT-enabled businesses and tourism. He noted that limited bandwidth and infrastructure gaps have hindered socio-economic development, particularly affecting youth and entrepreneurs.
The PTA chairman confirmed that preparations for the nationwide auction of additional spectrum are underway. He added that the authority has written to the GB Council, AJK Council and the Ministry of IT and Telecom to initiate groundwork for the regulatory framework in both regions.
Due to technical testing, regulatory reviews and spectrum arrangements, GB and AJK will require a separate auction process. Rehman stated that PTA’s preference is to provide spectrum free of cost in GB and AJK, allowing operators to allocate capital expenditure toward infrastructure development instead of spectrum fees.
Amir Shahzad, Director General (Licensing) at PTA, suggested that the GB government follow AJK’s example by abolishing right-of-way (RoW) charges for telecom infrastructure. The federal government has already directed its departments to provide free access for IT and telecom fibre networks.
AJK recently waived RoW charges for IT-related infrastructure and introduced a one-window system for no-objection certificates related to telecom tower installation and fibre deployment. Applications will be processed within 15 days, with automatic approval if no objections are raised.
Officials believe these measures will reduce delays and financial barriers, accelerating broadband expansion in remote areas.
