Pakistan leads the world in YouTube video views, with users watching 560 million videos daily, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Hafeez Ur Rehman told a parliamentary committee on Tuesday.
Briefing the National Assembly Standing Committee on Information Technology, the PTA chief shared figures on the country’s social media and messaging platform usage.
He said Pakistan currently has 96 million YouTube users, while 560 million videos were watched daily on the platform, placing the country at the top globally in terms of YouTube viewership.
The PTA chairman further revealed that TikTok has 100 million registered accounts in Pakistan, while 150 million Pakistanis watched videos on the platform.
He added that WhatsApp has 100 million accounts in the country, with users making one billion calls and sending 12 billion messages daily.
Separately, Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja told the NA body that social media and artificial intelligence (AI) usage had significantly increased data consumption.
She said no spectrum auction had taken place after former prime minister Nawaz Sharif left office, adding that his government had introduced 4G services, while the incumbent government had conducted a 5G spectrum auction.
The minister said 1.8 million people were using 5G services in Pakistan, adding that the technology was being rolled out in 24 cities and steps were being taken to improve service quality.
Shaza also highlighted several reasons behind disruptions in telecommunications services, including theft of entire mobile towers, diesel and generators.
She said such incidents were among the factors affecting the quality and continuity of telecom services.
