Govt to withdraw controversial telecom bill

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani government has announced plans to withdraw the Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-organization) (Amendment) Bill, 2026, after proposed amendments failed to resolve key issues and achieve intended objectives. The withdrawal will be formally submitted to the Senate on Friday, with the Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, requesting leave from the House to retract the bill, initially presented on June 15, 2026.

The controversial bill aimed to overhaul the Right of Way (RoW) framework under the Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-organization) Act, 1996, by introducing separate mechanisms for Independent Private Property, Common Development Property, and Public Property. A contentious provision required telecom licensees to obtain prior written consent from property owners for RoW on independent private property, with no entitlement to such rights in the absence of an agreement.

For common development property like roads and parks, the draft proposed a time-bound mechanism, with the property manager required to respond within 30 days or face referral to the appropriate government. The draft also exempted certain installations from fees and protected telecom licensees from unreasonable interference once RoW was granted.

However, the government reviewed the amendments and determined that the bill, as proposed, was not delivering the desired regulatory outcomes, leading to the decision to withdraw it. Telecom operators have long struggled with RoW issues, which significantly hindered the rapid deployment of fibre, mobile infrastructure, and small cells.

The government's withdrawal of the bill is anticipated to allow for a renewed approach to resolving RoW-related challenges and enhancing the legal and regulatory framework for telecom infrastructure deployment.