The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunications expressed serious concern over the poor and unsatisfactory state of internet services in the country, demanding complete details from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) regarding show-cause notices issued to telecom operators, fines imposed, and amounts collected over the past six months. The committee decided to summon representatives from all relevant telecom operators in the next meeting to receive a direct briefing on measures to improve current internet services, upgrade infrastructure, and develop new telecommunication infrastructure across the country. The 24th meeting of the standing committee was chaired by Syed Amin ul Haq at the Parliament House.
PTA officials briefed the committee that regular quality of service surveys are conducted to assess the standard of internet and telecom services, with results provided to the respective companies, instructing them to improve service quality within 30 days. A follow-up survey is conducted after the stipulated period, and if deficiencies persist, a show-cause notice is issued to the respective company, and fines are imposed according to regulations. According to the PTA, fines of up to 3.5 billion rupees can be imposed on telecom operators. Officials noted that some operators approach the courts instead of paying fines, which delays timely corrective actions due to prolonged legal proceedings. The committee directed the PTA to present complete details of all show-cause notices issued, fines imposed, amounts received, and outstanding dues in the next meeting. The committee also instructed that representatives of telecom companies be summoned to the next meeting to review practical measures to ensure the provision of better and quality internet services to consumers.
The issue of granting industrial status to telecom operators was also discussed during the meeting. A telecom member informed the committee that under the Finance Act 2021, telecom operators were granted industrial status; however, NEPRA has refused to recognize the telecom sector as an industry, arguing that telecom operators do not provide the required value addition. The committee took notice of the matter and directed the telecom member to prepare a detailed working paper covering legal, financial, and technical aspects, while also deciding to summon representatives from NEPRA in the next meeting. The committee stated that granting industrial status to telecom operators could help resolve issues related to electricity supply and load shedding for telecom towers. Sometimes, telecom towers shut down due to power outages, affecting the availability of mobile and internet signals. The committee emphasized finding practical solutions to all related issues, including uninterrupted electricity, to improve the quality and continuity of internet and telecom services.
The meeting also considered the Electronic Transactions (Amendment) Bill 2026. Members from the Pakistan Peoples Party expressed concerns over the proposed amendments to the bill, stating that consultations with the party’s parliamentary legislative committee have not yet taken place, which means the bill is still in the consultation phase. The committee directed the Ministry of Finance to complete the required consultations on the bill and postponed further consideration until the next meeting. Members of the National Assembly, including Zulfiqar Ali Bhatti, Ahmad Atiq Anwar, Rana Iradat Sharif Khan, Ammar Ahmad Khan Laghari, Shazia Fareed, Syed Ali Qasim Gilani, Dr. Mahesh Kumar Malani, Sadiq Ali Memon, Ahmad Saleem Siddiqui, and Palain Baloch, along with officials from the ministry and its subordinate departments, attended the meeting.