Pakistan hopes to resolve land dispute with the United Arab Emirates's Etisalat within a month. The second-biggest telecoms firm in Arab World-Etisalat had acquired 26 percent stake worth $2.6 billion in Pakistan Telecommunication Co (PTCL) in 2006 through Etisalat International Pakistan (EIP). Amount worth $1.4 billion has been paid so far from the total agreed amount of $2.6 billion.

Shahab Khawaja, secretary of the Pakistan's Privatization Committee told Reuters, "We have agreed with Etisalat that the reaming amount will be paid once the land included in the deal which has around 3,000 properties is transferred."

He added that 93 per cent land has been transferred so far and remaining chunk of land would be transferred very soon.

Pakistan has assigned the work of land transfer to a committee, which would look into the matter to transfer land located in the Punjab and Sindh provinces. The development came after the intervention of Pakistan PM who directed to speed up the land transfer process.

Etisalat, having operations in 18 countries including Egypt and India, is a leading operator of the Gulf World. It started its overseas operations after losing its monopoly in the home turf.