Islamabad (GNP): Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication met under the chairpersonship of Senator Palwasha Mohammad Zai Khan to review key issues including the reported closure of mobile services in District Lakki Marwat, progress on Telecom Competition Rules, non-cooperation of social media platforms, status of LDI/LFF court cases, Ufone’s financial performance, and network degradation caused by power outages.
The meeting was attended by Senator Dr. Afnan Ullah Khan, Senator Pervaiz Rashid, Senator Sadia Abbasi, and Senator Syed Kazim Ali Shah, while Senator Shahadat Awan and Senator Atta ur Rehman participated as movers of questions.
Taking up a starred question regarding the Telecom Competition Rules, the Committee was informed that draft rules were formulated in line with the 2015 policy and in consultation with the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) and subsequently submitted to the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication. However, the matter is still under consideration. Emphasizing the importance of these rules for a fair and competitive telecom sector, the Chairperson directed that the rules must be finalized within one month.
Discussing the situation in Lakki Marwat, Senator Atta ur Rehman contested the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority’s (PTA) claim that services were not suspended. The Committee highlighted challenges, including theft of diesel, batteries, and solar panels from telecom towers. PTA informed that network stability had improved at seven identified sites, but outages persist due to load shedding. The Chairperson directed PTA to coordinate with operators to curb theft and apprised about a sub-committee to investigate outages, address motorway blind spots, and propose remedial mechanisms.
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The Senate Committee urged the Ministry to enhance Pakistan’s satellite constellation to strengthen telecom infrastructure nationwide. It was noted that PTA is enforcing licensing conditions to ensure 95% tower availability.
The Chairperson directed strict compliance by operators and submission of a detailed report, particularly focusing on underserved regions including Sindh and Balochistan.
On the issue of social media cooperation, PTA informed that the response rate of Twitter/X remains low at 27%. The Committee expressed concern over what it termed biased practices, citing instances where content was removed or retained inconsistently.
The Chairperson stressed the need for stronger regulatory engagement to address the issue.
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The Senate Committee was also briefed on the status of Starlink licensing, with officials clarifying that no license has yet been issued.
Regarding LDI/LFF license-related litigation, the Committee was informed that Telecom Tribunals are being established to address such technically complex cases. The Chairperson directed that the process be expedited.
On Ufone’s financial performance, the Committee was told that growth had stagnated, leading to losses; however, recent investments in spectrum upgrades have significantly reduced these losses. It was clarified that Ufone operates under PTCL as a corporate entity regulated by SECP, and is not a direct government liability. The Senate Committee was also briefed on an $800 million dispute between Ufone and Etisalat. The Chairperson directed that a joint meeting be convened with the Senate Standing Committee on Privatization to deliberate the matter.
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
