Pakistan’s current legal framework for telecommunications is failing to keep pace with the digital age, IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja told lawmakers on Tuesday. She argued that the existing laws, drafted for a different era, have become a bottleneck for 5G deployment and the growth of modern tech infrastructure.
The minister’s push for a new telecom bill comes as the government faces mounting pressure to auction 5G spectrum. Industry experts have long warned that without updated regulations, the country risks falling further behind regional peers who have already integrated 5G into their industrial and commercial sectors.
“The current legal structure doesn’t cover the complexities of modern digital services,” the minister said during a committee briefing. She noted that the disconnect between current legislation and technological reality is hindering both foreign investment and local innovation.
For years, the telecom sector has operated under the Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-organization) Act of 1996. While the act laid the foundation for the mobile revolution, it remains largely silent on issues like data protection, cloud infrastructure, and the high-speed requirements of 5G. Critics of the current system point out that the lack of clear, modern rules has created a climate of uncertainty for multinational investors.
The proposed legislation aims to overhaul the regulatory landscape by creating a more flexible framework that can adapt to rapid technological shifts. Officials are pushing for provisions that would streamline licensing processes and provide clearer guidelines on spectrum sharing—a critical component for cost-effective 5G rollout.
Still, the legislative path forward remains complex. Opposition members have expressed concerns over how the new bill might affect surveillance and digital privacy, suggesting that the government must balance technological progress with individual rights.
The ministry expects to present the draft to the cabinet by the end of the month. Whether the government can secure the necessary parliamentary support to pass a sweeping change—and whether that change will actually translate to faster internet speeds for the average user—remains the central question.
