The government is officially withdrawing the Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-organization) (Amendment) Bill, 2026. The proposed legislation failed to achieve its intended goals. Specifically, the Telecom Amendment Bill 2026 did not resolve the long-standing Right of Way (RoW) issues that constantly cripple the telecom sector.
Why the Government Scrapped the Telecom Amendment Bill 2026
Today, August 28, 2026, Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja will present the withdrawal decision to the Senate. She is seeking leave of the House under Rule 115 to withdraw the bill, which the government originally laid on June 15, 2026.
Recently, officials reviewed the proposed amendments. They quickly concluded that the current draft simply does not deliver the necessary regulatory outcomes. Therefore, they decided to completely withdraw it. The withdrawn bill attempted to revise the 1996 Act. It proposed completely separate RoW mechanisms for independent private property, common development property, and public property.
For independent private properties, telecom operators needed prior written consent and a formal agreement. If the owner refused, the operator could not exercise RoW. Similarly, permanent buildings required explicit written consent before any telecom work began, even if authorities had already granted RoW.
Meanwhile, common areas (like roads and parks) and public properties featured a strict time-bound mechanism. Managers or public authorities had 30 days to respond to RoW requests. If they ignored the request, the government would step in and decide the matter within 45 days.
Furthermore, the draft offered some financial and legal protections. It proposed making underground RoW on common and public property completely free. It also exempted temporary overground installations from charges. Consequently, the bill barred property owners from unreasonably obstructing telecom works and proposed fines for willful obstruction. Designated district officers had 45 days to resolve disputes, while operators had 30 days to appeal to a Tribunal. In return, telecom companies had to promptly repair any property damage.
What This Means for the Telecom Sector
Right of Way remains a massive hurdle for local operators. It heavily delays the rapid deployment of fiber optics, mobile infrastructure, and small cell networks.
Industry stakeholders constantly demand a uniform and facilitative RoW regime. They urgently want to cut administrative delays and reduce rollout costs. Ultimately, scrapping this flawed bill opens the door. It paves the way for a completely fresh approach to fixing Pakistan’s telecom infrastructure laws.
