The Senate Standing Committee on IT and Telecom has deferred approval of the Pakistan Telecommunication Re-organization Amendment Bill 2026, postponing a final decision until the following day after lawmakers clashed sharply over provisions in the legislation concerning private property and telecom equipment.
Senator Afnan Ullah raised significant objections during the session, arguing that the bill’s scope should be limited strictly to fiberization and calling for the immediate removal of clauses referencing towers and other telecommunication apparatus. He emphasised the need to thoroughly review the legal requirements governing the laying of fibre optic cables across private properties, warning that passing the bill in its current form could create serious problems for the public if landowner protections were not adequately addressed. In response, the Secretary of Information Technology sought to reassure the committee that authorities would not pursue fiberization on private land without the explicit consent of landowners, and that relevant government bodies would step in to resolve any disputes that arise between parties during infrastructure deployment.
The session also saw heated exchanges between lawmakers and ministry officials. Senator Sadia Abbasi voiced strong frustration with the IT Ministry’s Member Legal, criticising the official’s conduct during the proceedings. The Pakistan Peoples Party took a firm stance against rushing the legislation through committee, with Senator Nadeem Bhutto confirming that the party held significant reservations about the bill’s text and insisting that the full document be read and reviewed thoroughly before any vote could proceed.
Federal IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja pushed for immediate approval of the bill, arguing that extensive consultations had already taken place and that all provinces were in agreement on the newly proposed Right of Way policies. Despite this pressure, the committee declined to approve the legislation without further deliberation, with the chairperson ultimately deferring the review to allow members additional time to examine the bill’s more contentious clauses around equipment access and private property rights. The committee is set to reconvene the following day to continue discussions on the legislation.
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