Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja has issued a direct public clarification on a provision of the Pakistan Telecommunication Reorganisation Amendment Bill 2026 that has generated significant concern among property owners and legal experts since the bill was moved in the Senate, addressing widespread misunderstanding about who the Rs 50 million fine actually applies to and under what circumstances it can be imposed.
The amendment bill, already passed by the National Assembly, seeks to insert Section 27B into the Pakistan Telecommunication Reorganisation Act, 1996, empowering the appropriate government to impose a fine of up to Rs 50 million on any owner, lessee, tenant, or entity that obstructs or delays the grant of rights to a telecommunication system licensee. The provision was widely reported as giving telecom operators the power to enter private property and fine owners who refused to allow tower or fibre installations, triggering a significant public backlash and prompting the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunications to defer consideration of the bill. The Senate Standing Committee deferred the bill following criticism over the provision that could impose hefty penalties on property owners who refuse access for telecom infrastructure installation.
Minister Shaza Fatima has now clarified that the fine provision has been misread in public discourse. In her clarification, she stated that in the case of an individual private owner, Right of Way is granted only after an agreement is reached between the telecom operator and the owner, including agreement on compensation, meaning a private individual cannot be fined simply for refusing a request or negotiating the terms of access. The provision relating to fines applies only where Right of Way has already been lawfully granted and a person or entity subsequently obstructs or delays its implementation. The fine is therefore linked to obstruction of an existing lawful right, not to the initial decision of a private owner whether or not to grant access. The minister also noted that the law provides for a fine of up to Rs 50 million, meaning any penalty imposed must be proportionate to the circumstances rather than automatically applied at the maximum level.
The Ministry of IT had responded to concerns over private land use during committee proceedings, with officials saying they would not allow fibre work without landowner consent and that relevant authorities would resolve disputes. Minister Shaza Fatima told the Senate committee that the bill had undergone extensive consultation and that the time for debate had passed, reflecting the ministry’s view that the legislative process had already accommodated input from stakeholders, provinces, and parliamentary bodies. The clarification from the minister directly addresses what has been the most contentious dimension of the bill’s public reception, and is expected to reduce opposition to the legislation as it moves through the Senate, where it has been referred to the relevant standing committee following its formal presentation during the budget session.
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