The Pakistani government is expected to grant permission for Elon Musk’s Starlink, alongside several Chinese companies, to begin operations in the country within six months. This was confirmed by Sabeen Ghaurim, Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication, during a meeting to address concerns regarding the delays in approving Starlink’s satellite internet service.
The committee, led by Chairman Aminul Haq, emphasized the importance of expediting the approval process to allow Starlink to begin its services. However, the committee also expressed frustration over the slow pace of digitalization in the country, particularly regarding the establishment of IT parks.
The committee raised concerns about the allocation of Rs 6 billion for the Karachi IT Park, which remains unspent this fiscal year, as well as delays in the Personal Data Protection Bill and the development of an AI policy. The IT Ministry’s Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) has been allocated Rs 24 billion for digital infrastructure and services in the current financial year.
There was also significant discussion about broadband services in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan, with the committee directing the Ministry to improve broadband access in these regions and finalize the fiberization policy.
Furthermore, the committee agreed not to grant any concessions to Long Distance and International (LDI) license companies regarding the recovery of Rs 78 billion in dues and stressed the activation of a telecom tribunal to resolve this issue.
PTA Chairman, Major General (retd) Hafeezur Rehman, informed the committee that telecom companies had contributed Rs 1,700 billion in taxes over the past six years, yet no funds had been allocated to improve the country’s network infrastructure.
The committee also urged the government to provide separate grants to the Universal Service Fund (USF) to aid in broadband service delivery and the laying of optical fiber cables in remote areas. These initiatives are seen as crucial for the nation’s digital transformation and achieving IT export targets.