ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan telecom amendment bill has been withdrawn from the Senate, with the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication saying it will introduce a fresh version to avoid legislative delays.
According to a ministry press release, the Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-organisation) (Amendment) Bill, 2026 was nearing the end of its stipulated 90-day period.
The ministry said expiry of that period would move the bill toward a joint sitting of Parliament, which may not be convened in the near future. It therefore decided to withdraw the legislation and introduce a fresh bill while retaining the substance of the proposed amendments.
The legislation had drawn scrutiny over provisions concerning access to private property for telecommunications infrastructure.
Under the proposed framework, telecom operators could seek access to private land for installing, operating, maintaining or upgrading infrastructure including fibre-optic networks, towers, generators and related equipment.
The Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication deferred consideration of the bill in June and sought a review of provisions affecting private property rights.
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Committee members raised concerns over the powers proposed for the “appropriate government”, discretionary wording in implementation clauses and safeguards for property owners.
Senators also called for clear legal protections, mutual-agreement mechanisms and transparent dispute-resolution procedures before individuals could be required to accommodate telecom infrastructure on private property.
The ministry said the proposed amendments also covered institutional reforms linked to state-owned enterprise principles, expansion of telecommunications infrastructure and measures aimed at improving regulatory efficiency and transparency.
