Owner's consent mandatory for telecom infrastructure on private property: Tarar
- Shaza says expanding internet access remains key priority of Ministry of IT
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar confirmed that owner's consent is mandatory for telecom infrastructure installation on private property, as clarified in the revised Pakistan Telecommunication (Amendment) Bill.
- Revised Pakistan Telecommunication (Amendment) Bill.
- Addressing modern connectivity needs and increased data consumption.
- Plans for 5G rollout and expanding fiber-to-home connections.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar on Sunday made it clear that owner’s consent is mandatory for the installation of telecom infrastructure on a private property.
He said this while addressing a news conference alongside Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunications Shaza Fatima Khawaja in Islamabad.
The law minister further explained that the revised draft of the “The Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-organization) (Amendment) Bill,” clearly states that owner’s consent is mandatory before any right-of-way can be granted over a private land.
“The draft bill also provides clearer definitions of key terms, including right-of-way, above-ground and underground infrastructure, and the placement of telecommunications equipment, in order to eliminate ambiguity,” he added.
The law minister said the previous draft was passed by the National Assembly with six amendments. He said concerns were later raised in the Senate Standing Committee regarding its wording.
Speaking on the occasion, IT Minister Shaza said the original law, enacted in 2006, requires amendments to address modern connectivity needs.
She further said Pakistan’s data consumption has increased by around 25% over the past two years, underscoring the need to expand spectrum capacity and strengthen telecommunications infrastructure.
“Spectrum availability has been increased from 274 MHz to approximately 750 MHz through the country’s largest-ever spectrum auction, while the rollout of 5G will require further investment in fiber networks, telecom towers, and related infrastructure,” she added.
Shaza noted that Pakistan currently has fewer than three million fiber-to-home connections despite a population of around 240 million. She said the government aims to increase this number to 10 million homes over the next three years.
Responding to public concerns over right-of-way provisions, she emphasised that expanding internet access remains a key priority of the Ministry of IT, but assured that efforts to improve connectivity will not compromise citizens’ fundamental rights.
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