The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Information Technology, chaired by Syed Amin ul Haq, held a meeting at the Parliament House today to deliberate on proposed amendments to the Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-Organization) Act.
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Chairperson Syed Amin ul Haq emphasized that the amendments introduce positive and essential changes to the Act. He stressed the importance of taking the house into confidence through democratic processes.
Committee members raised concerns that they were not consulted prior to the bill’s presentation. PPP MNA Sharmila Farooqi criticized the government for bypassing consultations with her party’s legislative committee.
Federal Minister of State for IT Shaza Fatima explained that the urgency stems from IMF conditions and SRO compliance requirements. Officials from the Ministry of Law described the bill as a special law.
Intense discussions focused on amendments related to the Right of Way (RoW). Farooqi expressed fears that these could supersede other laws, potentially harming the environment or national heritage sites.
Fatima countered that all provinces have already issued notifications to eliminate RoW charges. Under the new amendments, license holders will be obligated to restore sites to their original condition.
The IT Minister highlighted that 98% of users in Pakistan rely on mobile broadband, but fiberization efforts are stalled due to objections from landowners. She warned that without removing these barriers, neither 5G nor reliable internet rollout will be possible.
Farooqi insisted that citizens’ constitutional rights must not be overlooked. Fatima clarified that the amendments do not infringe on any citizen’s constitutional rights.
The meeting underscored ongoing tensions between accelerating digital infrastructure and safeguarding legal and environmental protections.
