Overview
- The Senate accepted a government motion to withdraw the Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-organization) (Amendment) Bill, 2026 after the withdrawal was moved and recorded on Friday, August 28, 2026.
- Key disputed clauses would have required telecom licensees to obtain prior written consent from private property owners and set new, time‑bound rules for access to common and public property while offering some fee exemptions for underground and temporary works.
- Officials said the bill was pulled because its 90‑day statutory window was nearing expiry and the government wanted to avoid the measure automatically moving to a joint sitting of Parliament.
- Telecom operators have warned that unclear Right of Way rules slow fibre, mobile and 5G deployment, raising costs and delaying service expansion for consumers and businesses.
- The Ministry of Information Technology says it will rework the text and introduce a fresh bill that keeps the amendment’s core aims but addresses legal, procedural and property‑rights objections; RoW policy details remain unresolved and will shape the next draft.