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By Tanveer Ahmed :
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja has rejected concerns that the proposed Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-organization) (Amendment) Bill, 2026 would allow the government or telecom companies to occupy privately owned land without consent.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar, Shaza Fatima said the legislation is designed to modernise Pakistan’s telecommunications framework and support the country’s growing digital infrastructure, not to undermine property rights.
She said the amendment seeks to update the Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-organization) Act, 1996, which was enacted during the era of 2G technology and no longer meets the requirements of modern digital services, including 5G and next-generation connectivity.
According to the minister, the bill was introduced in the National Assembly in January and was examined extensively by the relevant parliamentary standing committee. After consultations with lawmakers, including amendments proposed by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), it was approved by the National Assembly in June before being referred to the Senate for further consideration.
Shaza Fatima said concerns raised during Senate committee discussions were addressed by the government, and further deliberations were allowed to ensure broader parliamentary input. Following public debate and media reports on the proposed legislation, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif constituted a committee headed by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar to review the bill.
Explaining the need for the amendments, the minister said Pakistan’s telecommunications sector has experienced significant growth, with data consumption increasing by nearly 25% over the past two years. She added that available spectrum has expanded from 274 MHz to around 750 MHz following the country’s largest spectrum auction, while work on next-generation telecom infrastructure is continuing.
She said the proposed legislation is intended to attract investment in digital infrastructure, improve high-speed internet access and remove regulatory hurdles while safeguarding citizens’ constitutional rights.
The minister noted that expanding nationwide connectivity requires substantial infrastructure, including fibre-optic networks, telecom towers and both underground and overhead installations. She said only around three million households had fibre-based internet connections when the current government took office, a figure that has since risen to more than five million through policy reforms and technical measures.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has set a target of extending wired broadband services to at least 10 million households over the next three years, she said, adding that improving the regulatory environment is essential to attracting the investment needed to achieve that goal.
Shaza Fatima also highlighted cooperation between the federal and provincial governments in addressing long-standing right-of-way issues and encouraging greater private-sector investment. She said expanding reliable internet access to households and students across Pakistan remains one of the ministry’s top priorities.
Responding to allegations concerning her financial integrity and that of the IT secretary, the minister said she had requested the prime minister to order a formal inquiry. She said she would accept full responsibility if any wrongdoing was proven but reserved the right to pursue legal action if the allegations were found to be false.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar also dismissed claims that the bill was designed to provide financial benefits to any individual. He said the parliamentary committee found no evidence supporting such allegations and noted that the National Assembly had approved the legislation after incorporating six amendments.
Tarar said the proposed law mainly addresses disputes involving housing societies that delay or obstruct the installation of telecommunications infrastructure despite existing agreements. He stressed that the consent of property owners would remain a legal requirement before fibre-optic cables could be laid on private land.
He reiterated that no individual would be compelled to allow telecom infrastructure on their property and said the proposed amendments would not permit the forced occupation or use of privately owned land.
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