June 4th, 2026
By Iqra Manzoor
LAHORE
In Gilgit-Baltistan, a university admission test can slip away only because of a fading internet signal. For student and activist Mehwish Wali, this is exactly what happened. Despite clearing the first stage of her test, she missed the next when internet services went down across the region.
For her and many others, internet access has become a determining factor in education and economic opportunity. Weak signals, repeated outages, and unstable networks routinely disrupt online classes, applications, and income streams for students and freelancers who depend on digital connectivity.
Residents say the impact is no longer limited to daily inconvenience.
In Ghizer, student Basit Ali describes a pattern that extends into the political sphere as elections approach. “Lack of internet has a direct influence on elections in GB because people get awareness of different candidates and their mandate through social media,” he said. “A public narrative is built through social media campaigns during elections, and when there is no internet, that narrative building becomes almost impossible.”
He adds that access to information is increasingly shaped by connectivity, particularly in rural areas where alternative sources remain limited. “Internet connectivity is directly linked to political awareness among people,” he said.
By his estimate, nearly 85 to 90 percent of Gilgit-Baltistan still does not have reliable internet access compared to other parts of the country.
Connectivity and electoral transparency concerns
Human rights observers say these gaps are no longer just developmental concerns but are increasingly linked to electoral transparency and participation.
Israruddin Israr, Regional Coordinator of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) in Gilgit-Baltistan, said weak connectivity directly affects how elections are experienced on the ground.
“When connectivity drops during campaigns, rural voters miss candidate messages and observers can’t report irregularities in real time, which reduces transparency and trust in results,” he said.
He added that connectivity has effectively become part of election infrastructure in regions like Gilgit-Baltistan.
“Gilgit-Baltistan shows that connectivity is now election infrastructure. Any future electoral reforms must include telecom investment and clear rules against digital blackouts.”
He also noted that limited competition in telecom services contributes to uneven access and service quality across the region.
From daily disruption to electoral implications
As elections approach in Gilgit-Baltistan, residents and observers say these connectivity gaps are increasingly intersecting with political participation, campaign outreach, and access to information.
Digital platforms, they argue, have become central to how candidates communicate with voters and how public opinion is formed in a region where traditional media coverage remains limited.
Basit Ali’s account reflects this shift, where online space has become a primary channel for political awareness — and its absence creates informational asymmetry during election periods.
Structural barriers and telecom dominance
Gilgit-Baltistan’s telecom landscape is shaped by a combination of geography, infrastructure limitations, and long-standing institutional arrangements.
A journalist from Gilgit-Baltistan, Kiran Qasim, said the Special Communications Organization (SCO) plays a dominant role in the region’s connectivity structure.
“SCO has a dominant role in the telecom structure in Gilgit-Baltistan. It has built a wide network from Khunjerab Top to Babusar Top,” she said.
She added that while private operators such as Zong, Telenor, and others provide services in parts of the region, they often rely on existing infrastructure systems, which affects overall service quality.
Raja Noor-ul-Amin, spokesperson for the Special Communications Organization (SCO), said that earlier restrictions on tower installation applied mainly to sensitive border areas where security forces were deployed. He added that after 2017, private telecom operators were also allowed to expand their infrastructure in Gilgit-Baltistan, and in 2022 an agreement further bound operators to increase coverage in the region.
He said private companies often expand only in commercially viable urban centres, while remote and sparsely populated areas remain underserved due to low revenue potential. SCO, he said, continues to provide services in these remote regions and also facilitates private operators where required.
The spokesperson said around 700,000 users are currently connected to SCO services, and that network pressure, weather conditions, and electricity load-shedding sometimes affect service quality. He rejected claims that disruptions are intentional, saying they are operational challenges.
He added that private operators currently cover only around 30 percent of the region, while SCO’s network reaches up to 99 percent of Gilgit-Baltistan. He also said SCO is working on IT development projects, including software technology parks and IT houses for youth.
On elections, he said SCO is working to ensure stable connectivity and that dedicated teams are monitoring services to minimise disruptions.
Telecom operators have, at various points, attempted to expand independent services in Gilgit-Baltistan. However, difficult terrain, high mountain ranges, low population density, and commercial viability concerns have restricted full-scale expansion. As a result, many remote areas continue to depend primarily on SCO.
At the same time, telecom expansion in Pakistan’s border and sensitive regions is also shaped by security-based regulatory restrictions. Parliamentary briefings have previously noted that cellular towers cannot be installed within 10 kilometres of international borders, while mobile services are restricted within 2 kilometres in sensitive zones. Officials have also said that security considerations in border districts can affect the deployment of telecom infrastructure, including projects supported by the Universal Service Fund.
Voicepk reached out to the Universal Service Fund (USF), which operates under the Ministry of IT and Telecom and is mandated to expand telecom services in unserved and underserved areas across Pakistan, for its perspective on ongoing connectivity issues in Gilgit-Baltistan. However, no response was received till the filing of this report.
SCO, policy debate and limited competition
The role of SCO in Gilgit-Baltistan’s telecom ecosystem has long been part of broader policy debate.
Established in 1976 to provide telecommunications services in Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, SCO remains one of the key service providers in the region, operating within a framework shaped by both strategic and administrative considerations.
Earlier policy discussions, including parliamentary proceedings over SCO’s operational scope, reflected tensions between expanding commercial telecom competition and maintaining its existing mandate in sensitive regions.
In past cases, regulatory and legal disputes over telecom expansion in Gilgit-Baltistan have also highlighted disagreements between public sector operators and private companies over spectrum access and service expansion in the region.
Geography, cost and future solutions
Senator Dr. Afnan Ullah Khan, a member of the government and the Information Technology and Telecommunication committee, said internet access has become essential across education, governance, and electoral participation.
“Internet is very important as it is linked to education, economy, and voters as well. Journalists and observers also work through the internet, so access is essential for any democratic process,” he said.
However, he attributed connectivity gaps in Gilgit-Baltistan largely to geography and infrastructure challenges.
“Voters and political actors in GB are at a disadvantage because of difficult terrain and low population density, which makes it economically difficult to install infrastructure,” he said.
He added that the government is exploring satellite-based internet systems as an alternative solution for remote areas.
On allegations of politically motivated shutdowns, he said such disruptions are limited and security-driven, not intended to control information or dissent.
He also pointed to ongoing infrastructure improvements, including 5G trials and expansion plans aimed at improving connectivity in the coming years.
In a recent parliamentary development linked to broader telecom concerns, the National Assembly Standing Committee on IT and Telecom also questioned the timing of IT ministry officials’ visit to Gilgit-Baltistan during the election period. Members raised concerns over neutrality, with some suggesting the visit could be politically sensitive. Ministry officials said the trip was pre-scheduled and part of official duties, but acknowledged it could have been rescheduled after the election announcement.
Elections in a digitally uneven landscape
While geography and infrastructure constraints continue to shape connectivity in Gilgit-Baltistan, residents, journalists, and rights observers say the consequences are no longer limited to service delivery — they are increasingly reflected in how elections are experienced on the ground.
As political activity gathers pace, internet access is now closely tied to who gets heard, who receives information, and how public opinion is formed in a region where much of the political discourse has shifted online.
For many in Gilgit-Baltistan, the issue is no longer whether connectivity matters, but whether unequal access is quietly reshaping the conditions under which democratic participation takes place — and who gets left out of that process.