The government has decided to withdraw the Pakistan Telecommunication Reorganization Amendment Bill 2026, after concluding that the proposed changes failed to achieve their intended objectives, particularly in addressing long standing Right of Way issues faced by the telecom sector. Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja is expected to seek the Senate’s approval to withdraw the bill under Rule 115, with the legislation originally introduced in the Senate on June 15, 2026.
The proposed legislation had sought to overhaul the Right of Way framework under the Pakistan Telecommunication Reorganization Act of 1996, establishing separate mechanisms for independent private property, common development property and public property. A major point of contention involved telecom licensees seeking Right of Way across independent private property, where the proposed rules required operators to obtain written consent from property owners and agree on terms before use, with licensees unable to exercise Right of Way if no agreement was reached.
For common development and public property, the bill had proposed time bound approval procedures, giving property managers and public authorities 30 days to respond, after which unresolved cases could be referred to the government for a decision within 45 days. The proposed amendments also included provisions for free underground Right of Way on common development and public property, exemptions from fees for certain temporary and specified telecom installations, and measures aimed at preventing unreasonable interference once Right of Way had been lawfully granted, alongside enforcement provisions and a dispute resolution process involving a designated district officer and an appeal tribunal.
After reviewing the proposed amendments, the government concluded that the bill in its existing form was not delivering the required policy and regulatory outcomes. The decision to withdraw it carries significant weight for telecom operators, since Right of Way remains a major obstacle to the deployment of fiber, mobile infrastructure, small cells and other digital connectivity networks across Pakistan. Notably, the motion to withdraw the bill was moved by Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry rather than the IT minister.
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