The Ministry of IT and Telecommunication says the fresh bill will retain the earlier proposal’s core objectives while addressing concerns over right-of-way and property rights.
ISLAMABAD: 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 plans to introduce fresh legislation to avoid further delays in parliamentary approval.
According to a ministry statement issued Friday, the 90-day period available for consideration of the existing bill was nearing expiry. Once the period ends, the legislation would automatically proceed toward a joint sitting of Parliament, which the ministry said might not be convened in the near future.
The government has therefore decided to introduce a new bill that will retain the main objectives and substance of the earlier proposal while providing Parliament with a more practical timeframe to consider the reforms.
The proposed legislation seeks amendments to the Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-organisation) Act, 1996. The National Assembly approved the bill by majority vote on June 11, after which it was referred to the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication on June 15. Consideration was later deferred.
The bill has faced opposition from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, while the Pakistan Peoples Party has also raised reservations. PPP Senator Sherry Rehman had said her party would not support legislation concerning the IT sector, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority or right-of-way issues unless the proposed changes were properly reviewed and amended by the relevant Senate committee.
Right-of-way provisions became a major point of controversy, with critics expressing concern that telecom companies could gain access to public or private property for infrastructure projects.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif subsequently formed a committee to review the legislation and address concerns surrounding Sections 2(qb), 2(ma), 27A and 27B.
The Ministry of IT and Telecommunication later clarified that the amendments would not allow forced acquisition of private property or unauthorised access to privately owned land. It said property owners would be able to raise objections, negotiate conditions and seek appropriate compensation before infrastructure work begins.
IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja and Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar also rejected claims that the bill would give telecom companies unrestricted authority over private property. They said owners’ consent would be required before telecom infrastructure could be installed on privately owned land.
Khawaja said Pakistan’s existing telecommunications framework was developed during the 2G era and had become outdated with technological advances such as 5G. She said reforms were needed to attract digital infrastructure investment, expand high-speed internet access and address longstanding right-of-way challenges while protecting property rights.
Tarar said the parliamentary review committee found no indication that the legislation was intended to benefit any particular individual. He also stressed that consent would be required before fibre-optic cables could be installed across private land.
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