The debate surrounding the proposed amendments to the Right of Way (RoW) framework has triggered strong reactions from lawmakers, legal experts, housing societies, and industry stakeholders. Much of the discussion has focused on concerns over property rights, compensation, privacy, deemed approvals, and enforcement powers.
These concerns are legitimate. Any legislation affecting private property and establishing enforcement mechanisms must be subjected to rigorous scrutiny. Where provisions create ambiguity or raise constitutional questions, they should be refined.
However, an equally important question deserves attention: in debating the language of the bill, are we losing sight of the problem it is meant to solve?
Pakistan’s Connectivity Challenge Is Increasingly an Infrastructure Challenge
Pakistan’s digital ambitions are expanding rapidly. Digital payments, e-commerce, cloud services, artificial intelligence applications, digital public services, and future 5G networks all depend on robust telecommunications infrastructure.
Yet the deployment of that infrastructure often remains slow, fragmented, and unpredictable.
For years, telecom operators, internet service providers, and infrastructure companies have pointed to Right of Way bottlenecks as one of the most persistent barriers to network expansion. Delays in approvals, multiple layers of permissions, varying requirements across jurisdictions, disputes over access, and uncertainty around deployment timelines all increase costs and slow investment.
These challenges are not unique to Pakistan. Around the world, governments increasingly treat digital infrastructure as essential national infrastructure, requiring regulatory frameworks that allow it to be deployed efficiently while still protecting the rights of affected stakeholders.
The Debate Is Not Really About Towers
One of the more interesting aspects of the current controversy is that public discussion has often focused on telecom towers.
However, the industry’s primary concern is increasingly fiber.
The economics of the telecom sector have changed significantly over the past decade. Infrastructure sharing has become the norm. A large portion of Pakistan’s telecom towers is now owned and managed by independent tower companies, while operators increasingly share existing infrastructure rather than building new towers.
The bigger challenge today is fiberization.
Fiber networks form the backbone of modern digital economies. They connect homes, businesses, schools, hospitals, data centers, mobile towers, and future wireless networks. Without extensive fiber deployment, ambitions around high-speed broadband, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and 5G become significantly harder to achieve.
Viewed in that context, the Right of Way discussion is ultimately about how Pakistan intends to build the infrastructure required for its next phase of digital growth.
Where Critics Have a Point
The controversy surrounding Sections 27A and 27B has not emerged without reason.
Questions regarding access to private property, the scope of deemed approvals, compensation mechanisms, executive powers, and penalties deserve careful consideration.
Similarly, concerns about how the proposed framework interacts with existing property rights, contractual arrangements, and provincial laws should not be dismissed.
Public confidence in infrastructure policy depends not only on good intentions but also on clear drafting, strong safeguards, and credible oversight mechanisms.
If the legislation creates uncertainty in any of these areas, Parliament is right to seek clarification and improvement.
Reforming the Bill Is Not the Same as Rejecting the Objective
There is an important distinction between questioning specific provisions and rejecting the broader policy objective.
The current debate is often framed as a choice between protecting property rights and enabling telecommunications infrastructure. In reality, successful regulatory systems achieve both.
Property owners should have clear protections, fair compensation, transparent processes, and meaningful avenues for appeal. At the same time, infrastructure projects that serve entire communities should not be indefinitely delayed by procedural uncertainty or inconsistent implementation.
The goal should not be to choose one principle over the other. The goal should be to design a framework that reconciles both.
The Real Test
The success of the current review process should not be measured by whether the bill emerges unchanged or heavily amended.
The real test is whether Pakistan ends up with a framework that provides legal certainty for property owners while also addressing the infrastructure bottlenecks that continue to slow digital expansion.
Specific clauses can be revised. Oversight mechanisms can be strengthened. Dispute resolution procedures can be improved.
What should not be lost in the process is the recognition that the infrastructure challenge is real—and that solving it remains central to Pakistan’s digital future.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of ProPakistani. The content is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as professional advice. ProPakistani does not endorse any products, services, or opinions mentioned in the article.
