Government pulls telecom bill from Senate after row over property rights
The IT ministry will withdraw its telecom amendment bill and bring a fresh one, after objections to right of way rules for towers and fibre.
Pakistan's IT ministry has begun withdrawing a telecom law amendment from the Senate and plans to introduce a new bill in its place. The Express Tribune reported the move on 29 August 2026, citing a ministry press release.
The bill amends the Pakistan Telecommunication (Reorganisation) Act of 1996. The National Assembly passed it by majority vote on 11 June. On 15 June it went to the Senate Standing Committee on IT and Telecommunication, which put off its consideration.
The sticking point was right of way, the rules that let operators lay fibre and build towers on public and private land. Critics said the clauses could let telecom companies enter private property. PTI opposed the bill, and the PPP had reservations. According to the Tribune, Senator Sherry Rehman said her party would not back IT, PTA or right of way legislation unless the standing committee examined and amended it.
The government rejected the claim. The Tribune reported that Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar and IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja both said owners' consent would be required. The ministry said the new bill would not allow forced acquisition of private land or unauthorised entry, and that owners could object, negotiate terms and seek compensation before any work begins. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had set up a committee to review the contested sections.
The ministry gave a practical reason for starting over. The bill's 90 day period was close to ending, after which it would have needed a joint sitting of parliament, and the ministry said such a sitting may not take place in the near future. A fresh bill, it said, would keep the core of the original and speed up the legislative process.
For startups and network builders the delay matters. Faster permissions for fibre and towers are central to extending broadband and 5G beyond the big cities. Shaza Fatima Khawaja said the existing law was written in the 2G era and does not suit 5G and newer technologies. The Tribune did not say when the new bill would be tabled.
Reported from coverage in The Express Tribune, with background from PhoneWorld.
