Senate: Govt withdraws telecom bill
“The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication has initiated the process of withdrawing the Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-organisation) Amendment Bill 2026 from the Senate and will intr…”
Once the period expires, the legislation would proceed to a joint sitting of parliament, which the ministry said "may not take place in the near future". "In order to avoid delays and expedite the legislative process, the ministry has decided to introduce a fresh Bill," the ministry said.
It added that the new legislation would retain the "essence of the proposed legislation" while ensuring that the parliamentary process proceeded in a "timely and effective manner". The bill, which proposes amendments to the Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-organisation) Act, 1996, was approved by the National Assembly on June 11 by a majority vote.
It was subsequently referred to the Senate Standing Committee on IT and Telecommunication on June 15, where its consideration was deferred. The proposed legislation had faced opposition from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and reservations from Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
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PPP Senator Sherry Rehman had said her party would not support legislation concerning the IT sector, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority or right of way unless it was thoroughly scrutinised and amended by the relevant standing committee. The bill had also drawn criticism over provisions relating to the right of way for telecom infrastructure on public and private property.
Following the concerns, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif constituted a committee to review the proposed legislation and address reservations over its provisions. The committee was tasked with examining the right-of-way framework under Sections 2(qb), 2(ma), 27A and 27B of the proposed amendment bill.
The Ministry of IT and Telecommunication had subsequently clarified that the proposed legislation would not allow the forcible acquisition of private land or unauthorised entry into private property. It said property owners would retain the right to raise objections, negotiate terms and seek appropriate compensation before any work was carried out on their land.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar and IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja had also rejected allegations that the bill would allow telecom companies to occupy private property, saying owners' consent would be required before infrastructure could be installed on privately owned land.
Shaza had said the existing legal framework was drafted during the 2G era and no longer met the requirements of 5G and newer technologies.
Written by Iqra Aziz
Aman-e-Pakistan Senior Journalist & Bureau Reporter
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