Staff Correspondent
Islamabad, July 5, 2026: No fibre-optic infrastructure such as poles can be laid on private property without the owner’s consent, Federal Law Minister said while clarifying concerns over the proposed Telecommunications Bill.
Addressing a joint press conference with Federal Minister for Information Technology , Tarar said the Telecommunications Bill had been approved after incorporating six amendments.
He added that the parliamentary committee found no evidence that the legislation was designed to benefit any specific company and had directed that all shortcomings in the bill be addressed.
Shaza Fatima rejected allegations of financial irregularities and claims that the bill would allow forced occupation of private land, calling them baseless.
She said she had requested the prime minister to order an inquiry into the allegations to ensure transparency.
The IT minister said the legislation is aimed at expanding high-speed internet access across Pakistan through consensus-based lawmaking.
She added that clear categories relating to private properties would be defined to safeguard the rights of landowners.