Booni, Upper Chitral, Sept 4, 2025: A special public hearing was held today at the TMA Hall to address the long-standing telecommunication issues in Booni and other areas of Upper Chitral, particularly the poor services of Telenor.
The session was presided over by Haseeb-ur-Rehman Khan Khalil, Deputy Commissioner of Upper Chitral.
The meeting was attended by representatives of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), officials from Telenor, Jazz, Ufone, and PTCL exchanges, local elected officials and community elders, as well as leaders of various political and social organizations.
The representatives of the telecom networks were visiting Chitral following complaints raised with PTA by PML-N Chitral MNA Ghazala Anjum regarding the poor telecommunication services. They also held a meeting at the DC office in Lower Chitral a day earlier.
Residents today voiced serious concerns, stating that Telenor’s weak network service has severely disrupted daily life in Booni and surrounding areas. They highlighted financial losses due to wasted top-ups and difficulties in contacting relatives. Students and professionals also reported that internet outages have greatly affected online education, submission of forms for competitive examinations, and the completion of online government transactions, forcing citizens to repeatedly visit offices and endure unnecessary hardship.
Attendees praised Jazz for its better service coverage and requested that its network be expanded to other areas of Upper Chitral, including Booni, to ensure more consistent connectivity.
The Deputy Commissioner instructed all network providers to take public complaints seriously and emphasized the urgent need to resolve these issues. He noted that poor telecommunication services are not only affecting administrative efficiency but also daily life, education, business activities, and tourism.
He further requested PTA to encourage private telecom companies to invest in Upper Chitral and Booni, pointing out that the completion of the Chitral-Booni-Mastuj-Shandur Road is expected to significantly boost tourism, creating profitable opportunities for network providers.
Representatives of PTA assured that all complaints would be addressed promptly and seriously, promising tangible improvements for the residents of Upper Chitral and Booni in the near future.
The hearing concluded on a positive and hopeful note, with participants expressing confidence that all relevant authorities will take immediate action to resolve public grievances.
