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The IT ministry on Saturday clarified that a bill seeking amendments to telecommunication laws does not propose compulsory acquisition of private land.
The Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-organisation) (Amendment) Bill 2026, which seeks changes to a 1996 act and was tabled by IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja, was approved by the National Assembly on June 11 by a majority vote. It is currently pending before the Senate Standing Committee on IT and Telecommunication, where it was referred on June 15.
The proposed changes have been the subject of discussion on social media, with some users voicing concerns over provisions relating to the use of private property for infrastructure such as telecom towers.
In a detailed statement issued on Saturday, the ministry said the Right of Way (ROW) provisions in the bill “do not permit telecom operators to enter individual private property without the owner’s permission or due legal process, and do not authorise compulsory acquisition of private land”.
