Upon completion of the merger, the management of PTML proposed replacing both the Ufone and Telenor brands with the global brand of its parent company e&. The plan immediately drew intervention from Pakistan’s federal government, and the rebranding process was temporarily suspended. At the core of the dispute is first the omission of "Pakistan" from the new brand "e&" — critics argue this undermines national identity for a critical infrastructure enterprise where the government holds an approximately 67% stake. Second, the Ufone board approved the rebranding before the board of its parent company PTCL had completed the decision-making process for the same proposal. The government has questioned its legal authority and is considering seeking legal opinions to confirm whether the subsidiary’s board has the right to unilaterally make such major decisions before all legal merger procedures are fully completed.
Another key obstacle is a financial dispute. Reports indicate there is approximately US$800 million in outstanding debt between e& and Pakistan, linked to Etisalat’s privatization of PTCL back then. This unresolved financial issue has made regulators more cautious about whether to proceed with the rebranding at this time, and sources said the matter may ultimately require approval from the federal government.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) previously issued a letter on June 16, 2026, granting in-principle approval to the brand name "e&", but with conditions: PTML must first complete all legal formalities and formally notify the PTA before launching any commercial or promotional activities. The PTA sent another letter on July 2 to reiterate this position. After months of legal and governance reviews, the PTA granted conditional approval in September 2026 to use the "e&" brand, but PTML has not yet announced its final brand transition plan and official launch date. For the 74 million subscribers of the merged entity, there is still no official confirmation on whether the Ufone and Telenor brands will be replaced immediately or phased out gradually.
