A government committee tasked with reviewing the controversial Right of Way (RoW) provisions of the Pakistan Telecommunication Reorganization (Amendment) Bill 2026 has presented its interim recommendations to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, proposing several legal safeguards to protect property owners while supporting the country’s digital infrastructure expansion.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Ministry of Law and Justice said the committee thoroughly examined both the proposed amendments and the existing legal framework governing telecom Right of Way. The review concluded that although the legislation is designed to accelerate the rollout of telecommunications infrastructure, several clauses require clearer drafting to eliminate legal uncertainty.
One of the committee’s key recommendations is that access to private property must always be based on the owner’s explicit consent. It stressed that no individual, company, or organization should be permitted to enter or use privately owned land, buildings, or other assets without the owner’s approval through mutual agreement.
The committee also recommended expanding the scope of the law to clearly cover government institutions at the federal, provincial, and local levels, as well as regulated private housing societies and cooperative housing schemes.
To prevent future legal disputes, the report proposes adding precise definitions for terms such as private land, private property, individuals, companies, cooperative societies, and other jointly owned assets. It further recommends maintaining separate legal procedures for above-ground and underground telecom infrastructure, along with distinct rules governing Right of Way and related equipment.
For disputes involving licensed telecom operators and public authorities or housing societies, the committee suggested referring cases to the relevant government, which should be legally bound to issue a decision within 45 days.
The report also calls for a transparent framework requiring governments to consider public interest, necessity, proportionality, and compensation before making Right of Way decisions. Any person affected by such decisions would retain the right to challenge them before the Pakistan Telecommunication Appellate Tribunal, whose ruling would be final.
According to the ministry, committee members reached consensus on the core policy principles, and an updated version of the bill is expected to be completed within a week. The government reaffirmed that while it remains committed to expanding telecommunications and digital connectivity, it will ensure that constitutional protections for private property, consent, compensation, and due legal process are fully preserved.
