ISLAMABAD: A special committee constituted by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to review the Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-organisation) Amendment Bill 2026 has proposed significant changes to the wording of several provisions amid concerns surrounding the legislation.
According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice, the committee, headed by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, submitted its report focusing on the bill’s right-of-way provisions. The bill had already been passed by the National Assembly earlier this month before the committee completed its review.
The committee carried out a detailed examination of both the proposed amendments contained in the bill and the existing legal framework governing right-of-way matters. The ministry stated that although the primary objective of the legislation was to enhance digital connectivity across the country, it was equally important to safeguard the rights of citizens.
The ministry noted that certain provisions in the bill required further clarification due to ambiguities in their language. The review committee was established after members of the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunications raised concerns regarding clauses related to the installation of telecom towers.
During its deliberations, the committee highlighted the need to clearly distinguish between terminology used for above-ground and underground telecommunications infrastructure, rights-of-way and related equipment. Members of the Senate committee had argued that combining optical fibre networks and telecom towers within the same clause was technically inappropriate because they represent different types of infrastructure.
After reviewing the matter, the committee concluded that any use of private property for telecom infrastructure must be subject to the owner’s consent and a mutually agreed arrangement. The ministry emphasised that no action involving access to or use of private property could be undertaken without the explicit approval of the owner and a mutual agreement between the parties concerned.
The committee also recommended greater clarity regarding the application of the amendment bill to land owned, controlled or managed by public institutions, as well as federal, provincial and local government bodies. According to the ministry, members further observed that the law should more clearly define its applicability to buildings, properties and assets owned by cooperative housing societies and other similar entities.