MoIT&T asked to submit draft of amendments to Telecom Act

Senate sub-committee of the Committee on Delegated Legislation on Tuesday directed Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoIT&T) to submit a review of draft amendments in Pakistan Telecom (re-organisation) Act, 1996, by March 10. The meeting of the committee was held here under the chair of Senator Muhammad Daud Khan Achakzai.
The committee asked Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications to submit review of the draft amendments in Pakistan Telecom (re-organisation) Act, 1996 prepared by Special Communications Organisation (SCO) and approved by the General Headquarters. The draft amendments were not shared with the committee well in time and the members were, hence, unable to provide their observations on the same. The committee asked both stakeholders, ie SCOs and Ministry of Information Technology to hold a consultation and submit views on the amendments to the committee by 10th of March.
The meeting also had a briefing by Pakistan Telecommunication Employees Trust (PTET). The committee was informed that the trust established in 1996 has a board of trustees comprising six members; three of whom are nominated by the federal government while three are nominated by the PTCL.
The trust has two major functions including dispersing pensions and investments and has separate rules for both functions. The representatives of PTET informed the committee members that apparently no need has risen asking for any amendments in the rules and they are well in place fulfilling the functions required. The members will give their recommendations on these rules in the next meeting after considering them.
Senator Javed Abbasi, member of the committee, expressed concerns over the status of the employees of the trust and said that the rules do not specify whether the employees are considered government employees or as part of a master-servant relationship. The PTET representatives said that there are two types of employees varying on the basis of recruitment before or after 1996 when these rules were formulated. The committee will hold a detailed discussion on the status of employees in the next meeting.