Lawmakers Delay Telecom Amendment Bill 2026

The Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunications on Tuesday deferred a decision on the Pakistan Telecommunication Reorganization (Amendment) Bill 2026 after lawmakers raised concerns over provisions related to private property, telecom equipment, and towers.

The committee, chaired by Senator Palwasha Khan, discussed the proposed legislation, which aims to facilitate the expansion of fiber optic infrastructure and accelerate digital connectivity across the country.

Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunications Shaza Fatima told the committee that the amendments seek to remove barriers to fiberization projects and noted that all provinces have already abolished Right of Way charges. She said the government aims to increase Pakistan’s fiberization rate to 60 percent in the coming years and emphasized that disputes should not delay network expansion.

However, lawmakers questioned why the bill extends beyond fiber infrastructure and includes references to telecom equipment and towers. Senator Afnan Ullah suggested limiting the legislation strictly to fiberization and removing provisions related to other installations.

The Ministry of IT assured the committee that no fiberization activity would take place on private land without the owner’s consent and that any disputes would be resolved through the relevant government authority.

Opposition members also objected to what they described as an attempt to rush the legislation through parliament. Senators from the Pakistan Peoples Party said they needed more time to examine the bill before approving it.

Following the discussion, the committee decided to hold another meeting to further review the proposed amendments before taking a final decision.