Senate Committee Sets One-Month Deadline for Telecom Competition Rules
A meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication was held under the chairpersonship of Palwasha Khan, where significant concerns were raised regarding the prolonged delay in finalizing telecom competition rules in Pakistan. Regarding this, the Senate Committee sets a one-month deadline for telecom competition rules.
During the session, the Chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), Major General (R) Hafeez Ur Rehman, provided a detailed briefing on the matter. He informed the committee that telecom competition rules were first formulated in 2009. Since then, the PTA has submitted revised versions of these rules to the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication on four separate occasions.
Senate Committee Sets One-Month Deadline for Telecom Competition Rules
The PTA chairman further revealed that the most recent submission was made in 2022, followed by multiple reminders—seven in total—to the ministry for their finalization. Despite these efforts, the rules remain pending. He emphasized that the timeline for final approval now rests with the ministry.
Committee member Shahadat Awan expressed strong dissatisfaction over the delay, questioning the role of the Ministry of Law and Justice. He pointed out that it was unacceptable for the rules to remain unfinalized for over eight years. In response, officials from the Law Ministry stated that they would review the rules if they had been received. However, Senator Awan highlighted that the ministry appeared to be unaware of the rules altogether.
Following the discussion, the committee took decisive action by granting a one-month deadline to the relevant authorities to finalize the telecom competition rules.
The delay in implementing these regulations has raised concerns about market fairness and competition within Pakistan’s telecom sector. The committee’s directive signals a renewed push toward regulatory clarity and accountability in the industry.
See Also: 60 Million Pakistanis Have Lost Internet Because Telecom Towers Have No Diesel
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