ISLAMABAD: Former Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani on Sunday criticised the passage of the Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-organization) (Amendment) Bill, 2026 by the National Assembly without detailed parliamentary scrutiny, urging the Senate to reject the legislation in its current form.
In a statement, Mr Rabbani said that the Bill has been introduced in Parliament, at the behest of multinational companies, engaged in the telecommunication, broadband, and related infrastructure sectors.
“The right to property is protected under the Constitution, 1973. Such right cannot be taken away by force under the guise of a purported “right of way” to serve capitalist interests.” He said.
He suggested that the bill should be circulated to elicit public opinion, all stakeholders should be consulted and Recommendations of the Government committee should be placed before a Joint Session of Parliament for discussion.
Mr Rabbani further said that the Senate Standing Committee should thoroughly consider the bill before it proceeds further.
He argued that such a Bill should not be allowed to be passed by Parliament.
“Legislation affecting constitutionally protected rights must be subjected to rigorous scrutiny and public debate before being enacted into law. Therefore, the Senate should reject the said Bill in its present form.” He added.
The bill, which seeks changes to a 1996 Act and was tabled by IT minister, was approved by the National Assembly on June 11 by a majority vote. Later, it was deferred by 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.
However, the Ministry of IT has said in its detailed statement that 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.
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