Pakistan ranks first in the world for YouTube video viewing, according to Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Hafeez-ur-Rehman. He shared the figures during a parliamentary committee meeting in Islamabad.
The PTA chairman briefed the National Assembly Standing Committee on Information Technology. He discussed social media usage and digital platform activity across Pakistan.
According to Hafeez-ur-Rehman, around 96 million Pakistanis currently use YouTube. He also cited 560 million daily viewers of YouTube videos in the country. Based on these figures, he claimed Pakistan leads the world in video viewing.
The chairman also shared statistics about TikTok usage. He said Pakistan has approximately 100 million TikTok user accounts. He added that 150 million Pakistanis watch videos on the platform.
His briefing also covered the growing use of WhatsApp across the country. Pakistan reportedly has around 100 million WhatsApp user accounts. Users make approximately one billion calls through the application every day.
He further stated that Pakistanis send around 12 billion WhatsApp messages daily. These figures highlighted the growing role of digital communication platforms in people’s daily lives.
Social media and AI increasing data consumption
Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima also addressed the committee. She said social media and artificial intelligence were driving a significant increase in data consumption.
The minister discussed Pakistan’s telecommunications development and spectrum allocation. She said no spectrum auction had taken place after Nawaz Sharif left office. She credited Nawaz Sharif’s government with introducing 4G services in Pakistan. She also said the current government had conducted the country’s 5G spectrum auction.
According to Shaza Fatima, around 1.8 million people are currently using 5G services. She added that 5G technology is being introduced across 24 cities. The minister said authorities were taking steps to improve telecommunications services. The expansion aims to support growing demand for faster internet and mobile connectivity.
PTA highlights reasons behind telecom disruptions
Shaza Fatima also discussed factors affecting telecommunications services. She said several issues could contribute to disruptions in network operations.
The minister highlighted theft of telecom infrastructure as one major concern. She said entire telecommunications towers were sometimes stolen. Equipment such as diesel supplies and generators was also being taken. Such incidents can affect the operation of mobile networks. They can also create challenges for companies maintaining uninterrupted telecommunications services.
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The committee meeting highlighted Pakistan’s growing digital activity. It also brought attention to increasing data demand and challenges facing the country’s telecom infrastructure. With millions of users accessing platforms such as YouTube, TikTok and WhatsApp, internet consumption continues to grow. The government is also expanding 5G services to support changing digital needs.
