ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication has unanimously recommended the Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-organisation) (Amendment) Bill, 2026, introducing key changes aimed at improving telecom infrastructure deployment and strengthening governance within the sector.
The committee, chaired by Syed Amin-ul-Haq, conducted a detailed clause-by-clause review of the proposed legislation before approving the bill with amendments. Officials from the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication informed members that the amendments are designed to facilitate telecom licencees in obtaining Right of Way (RoW) access for the installation, deployment, operation and maintenance of telecom infrastructure, including fibre optic cables, towers and associated equipment.
Under the revised framework, no RoW charges will apply to public entities or private land used for commercial purposes, including housing societies, DHA, Bahria Town and cantonment areas. Access to privately owned individual land will remain subject to mutual agreement between parties. The bill also introduces defined timelines for approvals, including deemed approvals if public authorities fail to respond within prescribed periods, alongside a dispute resolution mechanism allowing the government to appoint a senior officer to resolve disputes within a specified timeframe.
The amendments also introduce structural changes to the governance of the National Telecommunication Corporation (NTC). The organisation will now fall under the State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Act, 2023, bringing enhanced financial oversight, governance reforms and audit compliance requirements. NTC will be governed by a Board of Directors comprising independent and ex officio members, the Managing Director and representatives from the private sector.
During the same meeting, the committee also reviewed the Electronic Transactions (Amendment) Bill, 2026. The Secretary of the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication highlighted the need to strengthen authentication mechanisms and update the legal framework in response to the rapid growth of digital and internet-based transactions. However, members from the Pakistan People’s Party raised concerns that the bill had not yet been reviewed by their parliamentary legislative committee. Following consultations, the committee decided to defer consideration of the bill until broader political consensus is achieved.
The committee also deferred scrutiny of budgetary proposals related to the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) of the Ministry of IT and its attached departments for the financial year 2026–27.
