Reports from Pakistan today said the company has invested more than US$100 million in the country and intends to invest US$50 million annually in the next four to five years.

Geo News said Edotco’s chairman Azzat Kamaludin called on Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad today.

It quoted the group as saying in a statement it appreciated the vision of Imran Khan and his government’s policies and wanted to become a partner in the Digital Pakistan programme.

It said Imran promised that steps would be taken to improve ease of doing business in Pakistan.

The News International quoted Suresh Sidhu, Edotco’s chief executive officer, as saying the company was willing to invest hundreds of millions of dollars more “if there would be chances of any major transactions”.

He said Pakistan could become a hub of connectivity on telecommunication services with the Gulf region and urged the authorities to forge ahead with 5G technology, including installing fibre lines across the country.

He, however, lamented delays in implementation through procedures and decision-making processes.

The online news site said Edotco Group is the largest independent tower company with 850 towers and envisages having 20,000 to 30,000 towers in the near future to enable telecommunications providers to efficiently meet their growing infrastructure requirements.

In September last year, Edotco called off a US$940 million deal to buy 13,000 telecoms towers in Pakistan after regulators failed to provide all approvals for the transaction.

Since it was formed in 2012, the group has grown rapidly and attracted new shareholders, The News International said.

It currently operates and manages a regional portfolio of more than 28,000 towers in Malaysia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, it added.