Questions over motives grew stronger, particularly because of the govt’s push to have it approved by both houses
ISLAMABAD:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has constituted a committee to review the Telecommunication Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill.
The committee will be headed by Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazir Tarar, while the members include Senator Sherry Rehman, Minister for IT Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Cheema, Attorney General Mansoor Awan and experts related to the field of law and IT.
The bill, which seeks changes to a 1996 Act and was tabled by IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja, was approved by the National Assembly on June 11 by a majority vote. Later, it was deferred by the Senate Standing Committee on IT and Telecommunication, where it was referred on June 15.
Questions over the motives behind the bill had grown stronger, particularly because of the government’s push to have it approved by both houses of parliament.
After PTI senators objected and demanded that the proposed legislation be sent to the relevant standing committee, Senator Palwasha Khan, chairperson of the Senate Standing Committee on IT and Telecom, convened a meeting the following day, June 16.
The committee, which has been constituted to address the concerns raised against some of its provisions, will review the Right-of-way (ROW) Framework in Section 2(qb), 2(ma), Section 27A and 27B of the Telecommunication Reorganisation Amendment Bill.
It will review the bill for the establishment of telecommunication facilities and deliberate on the operations related to the domain of private property and housing societies before submitting its recommendations.
The premier directed the committee to review the bill on a priority basis and submit its proposals.
Earlier, the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication clarified that the proposed ROW Bill 2026 will not allow the forcible acquisition of private land or unauthorised entry into citizens’ private properties.
According to the ministry, the property owners would retain the full right to raise objections, negotiate terms and demand appropriate compensation before any work is carried out on their land. With input from APP
