According to Senator Afnaanullah, significant progress has been made on the Data Protection Bill. A joint draft of the bill is currently being prepared.
During the meeting, the committee expelled the Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of IT for providing incorrect rules. The committee chairperson announced that a privilege motion would be brought against the Deputy Secretary.
Federal Minister Shaza Fatima left the meeting after reading the incorrect rules presented by the Deputy Secretary, as Senator Palwasha Khan noted. The chairperson urged Minister Shaza Fatima to apologize to the committee for the misinformation.
The committee also received a briefing on the Virtual Studio project, which has a Rs. 8 billion budget. Tensions arose between Federal Minister Shaza Fatima and the committee chairperson during the discussion. Minister Shaza Fatima stated that the project adhered to the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PEPRA) rules. She questioned how a single party could be invited to the meeting, to which Senator Palwasha Khan responded that they had not invited a specific company, it had come on its own.
Minister Shaza Fatima argued that if anyone could attend the committee meeting, their entire party should also be allowed to attend. She emphasized that this is a parliamentary committee and not an open forum. Senator Palwasha Khan countered that any citizen could participate in their committee.
The federal minister indicated that the remaining briefing would be provided by ministry officials. Officials from the Ministry of IT reported that four companies participated in the bidding process for the Virtual Studio project, but three did not qualify technically. They stated that the one company that did qualify should have been accepted.
According to the Ministry of IT officials, PEPRA rules allow a project to be awarded to a single company. The bidding process was reopened, and technical proposals from all three companies were reviewed. The board decided to restart the bidding process, as per PEPRA rules.
During the second round of bidding, technical proposals were opened, with a condition that companies include international bidders. The committee chairperson noted that they had requested a comparative review of the companies participating in the bidding during the last meeting. This Virtual Production Studio is being established for the first time in Pakistan, covering an area of 10,000 square feet.
Officials stated that bidders were required to submit their age, financial strength, and other documents. All bidders acknowledged these conditions and participated in the bidding. The companies were asked to provide a complete plan for the Virtual Production Studio, including technical details on screens, motion capture, and other aspects.
Bidders were evaluated based on ICT hardware, furniture, and other plans. Local and international companies submitted their plans, with three bidders scoring 44%, 81%, and 91% respectively. Officials indicated that the Virtual Production Studio project could generate $5,000 in revenue per day.
Senator Afnaanullah remarked that he did not notice any wrongdoing in the process, warning that delays in the project could harm the country. Anusha Rahman pointed out that the winning bidder lacked relevant experience related to the Virtual Studio, while officials maintained that all three bidders had the necessary experience.
They asserted that this project would revolutionize the media industry. Officials clarified that no changes could be made to the bids after submission. Senator Humayun Mohmand urged the committee to allow the project to proceed if the procedures were correct. The committee directed Ignite to continue work on the Virtual Production Studio.
