Pak Datacom Limited (PDL) has officially dismissed recent media reports claiming that its transition to YahClick satellite services poses a national security risk. The company labeled the claims as unfounded, defamatory, and malicious.
Earlier this week, a recent TechJuice report highlighted concerns raised by former PDL CEO Brigadier (Retired) Syed Zulfiqar Ali. He argued that shifting the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) network from the domestic Paksat to the UAE-based Yahsat violated regulations and compromised security.
Consequently, PDL released a formal clarification document on August 19, 2026, to address these claims directly.
PakSat Capacity & Financial Hurdles
PDL clarified that the PAKSAT-1R satellite reached its End of Life (EoL) in 2026. Therefore, the company initially engaged with PakSat International to migrate to the new PAKSAT-MM1. However, PakSat confirmed that the required Standard Ku-band capacity was completely unavailable on the new satellite.
Furthermore, the alternative Ka-band on MM1 was entirely committed to Kacific, a Singapore-based operator. Consequently, PDL explored a Low Ku-band option with PakSat. This alternative demanded the complete replacement of terminal equipment across approximately 500 sites. This massive overhaul would cost millions of dollars and face severe procurement delays in the local market.
Meanwhile, YahClick offered suitable coverage, High-Throughput Satellite (HTS) capability, and a significantly lower migration cost.
Regulatory Compliance & Security
Addressing the national security allegations, PDL firmly stated that its shift fully complies with the law. The First Right of Refusal (FROR) under SRO 60(I)/2024 explicitly allows the use of an alternate foreign satellite for up to five years if national capacity remains unavailable.
Moreover, YahClick operates with full authorization from the competent government regulatory authority. The service has operated locally since 2015. Government, financial, and defense organizations already utilize this network through Virtual Private Network (VPN) tunnels. Therefore, PDL insists that appropriate security measures protect customer communications from unauthorized access.
Pak Datacom Threatens Legal Action Against Defamation
PDL revealed that nothing has changed in YahClick’s approved operations. Instead, the company attributes this entire controversy to its former CEO. The company stated that it previously discontinued his services. Now, he is circulating these allegations strictly as retaliation.
As a result, Pak Datacom is initiating appropriate legal proceedings against him. Finally, the company urged journalists to seek official statements from both parties before publishing news to uphold credibility.
