For VoIP in Pakistan, international calls must enter through operators holding a Long Distance International (LDI) licence from the PTA, and almost all of them end on three mobile networks: Jazz, Ufone (which absorbed Telenor Pakistan in 2026) and Zong. Buyers pick a breakout per operator and a CLI type, and should be wary of routes that only work because they bypass the licensed gateways.
Rules last checked: October 2026.
Regulator and operators
The regulator is the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). The mobile market consolidated in 2026, when Telenor Pakistan was legally merged into Pak Telecom Mobile Limited, the company behind Ufone, which is owned by the PTCL group. As of mid-2026 the market looks like this:
| Operator | Position (subscriber share, mid-2026) |
|---|---|
| Jazz | Largest network, about 36% |
| Ufone (incl. ex-Telenor Pakistan) | Close second, about 36% |
| Zong | Third, about 27% |
Mobile numbers start with 3 after the country code 92. Fixed line traffic, mostly PTCL, is a small part of what wholesale buyers send. Because Pakistan has mobile number portability and has just merged two networks, check how your carrier routes ported and ex-Telenor numbers. See mobile number portability and call routing.
How international calls enter Pakistan
Inbound international traffic is carried by licensed LDI operators, which interconnect with the mobile and fixed networks. Pakistan tried a single International Clearing House (ICH) for incoming calls in 2012; it raised prices sharply, was suspended by a court and was withdrawn in 2014, after which LDI operators went back to negotiating rates with foreign carriers. The LDI sector has shrunk with the fall in international call revenue: in August 2025 the PTA cancelled the licences of five LDI operators over unpaid dues.
For buyers, the practical points are:
- Ask which LDI the route lands on, or at least whether it is a direct LDI interconnect or a resold route.
- Expect quality and price to differ between Jazz, Ufone and Zong; ask for separate breakouts rather than one blended mobile rate.
- After the Telenor and Ufone merger, confirm that the deck reflects the current network codes and interconnects.
Grey traffic and enforcement
Terminating international calls outside the licensed path is illegal in Pakistan. The PTA monitors incoming international traffic and, with law enforcement, regularly raids illegal gateway exchanges that turn international calls into local ones through SIM cards or fixed lines. Routes built this way are cheap for a while, then fail when the SIMs are blocked. They also tend to show the signs described in SIM box bypass fraud: a random local number instead of your CLI, short calls and poor audio.
If your traffic needs the original caller ID, ask for a CLI route and run a CLI delivery test on each operator before you scale.
What buyers usually ask for
- Operator breakouts: Jazz, Ufone and Zong, plus fixed if needed.
- CLI type: CLI for diaspora and business calls, non-CLI only where the caller ID does not matter. See CLI vs non-CLI routes.
- Traffic type: conversational traffic is the norm; call center and dialer traffic is accepted on fewer routes, so say so in the request.
- Quality metrics: steady ASR and a natural ACD for your traffic, with low post-dial delay. Read ASR, ACD and PDD explained.
What drives the price
The main drivers are the terminating operator, whether the route lands directly on an LDI or passes through several transit carriers, the CLI type and the billing increment. Rates to Pakistan can also move when the PTA changes interconnect charges or when the licensed carrier landscape changes, as it did with the 2025 licence cancellations and the 2026 merger. A general overview is in what drives VoIP termination prices.
Getting a route
See the Pakistan VoIP termination page and, for messaging, A2P SMS to Pakistan with the Pakistan sender ID rules. Tell us the operators, CLI type, traffic type and volume; we source the route from our carriers and manage it through our VoIP termination service. Request a Pakistan voice route.
Frequently asked questions
Is VoIP legal in Pakistan?
International calls into Pakistan are legal when they enter through operators holding a Long Distance International (LDI) licence from the PTA. Terminating international calls outside that path, through illegal gateway exchanges that turn them into local calls using SIM cards or fixed lines, is illegal, and the PTA and law enforcement regularly raid such setups.
What is an LDI license in Pakistan?
An LDI (Long Distance International) licence from the PTA lets an operator carry international traffic into Pakistan and interconnect with the mobile and fixed networks. The sector has shrunk with falling international call revenue, and in August 2025 the PTA cancelled the licences of five LDI operators over unpaid dues.
Did Telenor Pakistan merge with Ufone?
Yes. In 2026 Telenor Pakistan was legally merged into Pak Telecom Mobile Limited, the company behind Ufone, owned by the PTCL group. As of mid-2026 Jazz and the merged Ufone each have about 36 percent of subscribers and Zong about 27 percent. Check that your rate deck reflects current network codes and interconnects.
Why do calls to Pakistan show a local number?
A local Pakistani number instead of your caller ID usually means the route terminates the call through an illegal gateway that uses local SIM cards or fixed lines. Such routes also bring short calls and poor audio, and fail when the SIMs are blocked. Ask for a CLI route and run a CLI delivery test on each operator.
Need a route?
Send the destination, route type and target rate. We reply with what we can deliver.