Government moves to withdraw Telecom amendment bill, Plans fresh legislation

The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication has begun the process of withdrawing the Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-organisation) Amendment Bill 2026

The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication has begun the process of withdrawing the Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-organisation) Amendment Bill 2026 from the Senate and plans to introduce a new bill in an effort to speed up the legislative process.

According to a statement issued by the ministry on Friday, the 90-day period available for consideration of the existing bill was nearing its expiry. Once that period ends, the legislation would automatically move towards a joint sitting of Parliament. The ministry said such a sitting might not be held in the near future, potentially causing further delays in the passage of the proposed legislation.

To prevent the process from being stalled, the ministry has decided to present a fresh bill. It said the new legislation would preserve the main objectives and substance of the earlier proposal while allowing Parliament to consider it within a more practical and timely framework.

The proposed amendments seek changes to the Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-organisation) Act, 1996. The National Assembly approved the original bill by a majority vote on June 11. It was later sent to the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication on June 15, but consideration of the bill was subsequently deferred.

The legislation had faced resistance from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), while the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had also expressed reservations. PPP Senator Sherry Rehman had stated that her party would not support legislation dealing with the IT sector, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority or right-of-way matters unless the proposed changes were properly examined and amended by the relevant Senate standing committee.

A major source of controversy involved provisions concerning the right of way for telecommunications infrastructure. Critics raised concerns that the proposed amendments could potentially allow telecom companies to access or use private and public property for infrastructure projects.

In response to these concerns, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif formed a committee to review the bill and address reservations regarding its provisions. The committee was specifically tasked with examining the right-of-way arrangements outlined in Sections 2(qb), 2(ma), 27A and 27B of the proposed legislation.

The Ministry of IT and Telecommunication later clarified that the amendments would not permit the forced acquisition of private property or unauthorised access to privately owned land. According to the ministry, property owners would have the opportunity to object to proposed infrastructure projects, negotiate conditions and seek appropriate compensation before any work could begin.

IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja and Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar also rejected claims that the proposed legislation would give telecom companies unrestricted authority to occupy private property. They maintained that the consent of property owners would be necessary before telecom infrastructure could be installed on privately owned land.

Shaza Fatima said the existing telecommunications framework was developed during the 2G era and had become outdated in light of technological developments such as 5G. She argued that the proposed reforms were necessary to encourage investment in digital infrastructure, improve access to high-speed internet and resolve longstanding right-of-way challenges while safeguarding citizens’ property rights.

Law Minister Tarar also said the parliamentary review committee had found no indication that the legislation was designed to benefit any particular individual. He stressed that the revised framework would require the consent of property owners before fibre-optic cables could be installed across private land.

The government maintains that no citizen can be forced to allow telecom infrastructure on privately owned property, and that the proposed reforms are intended to modernise Pakistan’s telecommunications framework while balancing infrastructure development with the protection of property rights.