Following court approval of the country’s biggest telecom merger, PTCL Group is weighing a new identity for the combined operator under PTML, but the proposed rebranding is already facing scrutiny because of e&’s unresolved liabilities.
PTCL Group is considering launching a new brand for its merged Ufone-Telenor mobile business after the completion of Pakistan’s largest telecom merger, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The merger is now transitioning under e&, the UAE-based telecom group formerly known as Etisalat, which holds a 26 percent stake in PTCL Group and exercises management control. PTCL Group, in turn, owns PTML, placing the merged mobile business within e&’s strategic framework.
According to sources, e& intends to move ahead with the PTML rebranding process. However, its plans have drawn attention because of the group’s unresolved financial obligations to the Government of Pakistan, with more than $800 million in outstanding dues still pending.
Sources said the issue would need to be addressed before it is allowed to take full charge of the rebranding of the merged Ufone-Telenor entity.
As the parent group with management authority and global control over corporate identity frameworks, e& is seen as having the strategic right to guide and approve branding changes across its subsidiaries.
The final decision is expected to be taken by the boards of PTCL and Pakistan Telecommunication Mobile Limited (PTML), which will determine whether the merged operator continues with the existing Ufone and Telenor brands or adopts an entirely new identity. The boards are also expected to decide the name and timeline of any rebranding exercise.
Any rebranding would echo an earlier consolidation in the telecom sector, when the merger of Mobilink and Warid resulted in the launch of the Jazz brand.
When contacted for comment, PTML Director Corporate Communications Saad Warraich said: “Our priority remains ensuring uninterrupted connectivity and a seamless experience for our customers. We are currently working through our future commercial and brand plans and will communicate them in due course.”
The merger was formally completed after the Islamabad High Court approved the amalgamation last week. Following the court order, Telenor Pakistan ceased to exist as a separate legal entity, with all its assets and liabilities transferred to PTML.
As part of the post-merger structure, Hatem Bamatraf has been appointed chief executive officer of PTML, while Naveed Khan, previously chief financial officer of PTCL Group, has assumed charge as chief executive officer of PTCL.
PTCL Group has also obtained regulatory approval for the integration of Ufone and Telenor’s tower infrastructure, a key part of the post-merger consolidation process.
Under the new arrangement, PTCL and PTML will continue to function with separate boards of directors, chief executives and management teams. Separate board meetings have already been held to put the governance framework in place.
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