Sammendrag:

The theme of this thesis is land acquisition for telecommunications purposes, with the research question: How does Telenor acquire property in Pakistan and what are the challenges associated with operating in the Pakistani property system. This thesis deals with Telenor’s acquisition activities related to the establishment of Base Transceiver Station towers, focusing on the negotiation process. I wanted to illustrate how Telenor as a Norwegian company conducts acquisition in a foreign country and the challenges met by operating in the Pakistani property system. I wanted to explain the Pakistani property system, as I am well aware that religion and culture has a central place in the Pakistani society.
I have prepared three issues, in addition to the research question, in order to answer and refine the research question in a satisfying manner. The three issues concentrates on elucidating the main factors related to the acquisition process, which is executed by Telenor. These questions deals with the legal framework related to land acquisition in Pakistan, the Pakistani property system and Telenor’s practical implementation of land acquisition in their business.
I found out that there is a large bureaucracy associated with land acquisition, and in general within the Pakistani property system. In addition there is a considerable uncertainty related to the information in the Pakistani property system. The study shows that Telenor has a strong position in negotiations with private landowners, as there is a limited knowledge among the owners about current market prices and their land rights.
There is a big difference in the Pakistani property system, from a theoretical perspective to the practical implementation of the system. The Pakistani property system is theoretically a good and well-functioning system, but as a result of corruption, extensive registration process of land rights and low wages among the administrators of the system has led to a little transparent system being used by resourceful people in the society.
The property system is often tampered with in practice, property and rights are transferred between landowners without the necessary process of registration and notification. A landowner may for instance lose rights to his own property without being aware of it, until one day someone knocks at the door and claims right to the property. It is also a great cultural impact on rights to property in Pakistan, leading to limitations on the access to various land rights; this concern especially women and the poor population.
Telenor does mainly acquire property through amicable agreements with private landowners; land acquisition is primarily carried out as leases as a result of various practical reasons. The biggest challenge which Telenor faces in the acquisition process; are the challenges related to the identification of the legal owner of a property and risks associated with terrorism and natural disasters in certain areas. Telenor has solved many of the cultural and legal challenges by establishing Telenor Pakistan as an independent company, while Telenor is involved on a consultancy basis and managing level.