National Assembly Postpones Digital Nation Bill Again Amid Concerns Over Internet Speed and Infrastructure Deficiencies
The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on IT and Telecommunications, chaired by Federal Information and Technology (IT) Minister Syed Aminul Haq, has deferred the Digital Nation Pakistan Bill following a meeting on January 2. Members of the committee criticized the country’s inadequate internet infrastructure and recurring service disruptions.
During the session, committee member Sharmila Farooqi expressed frustration over the lack of progress in improving digital connectivity. “Are we lying, or is the government doing so? We are not being told about the losses, whereas P@SHA is giving the numbers,” she said. Farooqi also criticized frequent internet shutdowns during political protests, asking, “Are we fools to keep attending these meetings when no solutions are provided?”
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Hafeez-ur-Rehman informed the committee that three of Pakistan’s seven submarine cables were damaged earlier in 2024, significantly disrupting internet services. “I am in wudu (ablution) right now and stand by my previous statement. In August 2024, I mentioned that out of 7 submarine cables, 4 were operational. By October 2024, one cable was repaired after a delay of 5 months. Currently, we are ranked 97th out of 200 countries in mobile service, and we continuously conduct surveys and review the situation.” he stated.
Hafeez-ur-Rehman emphasized the PTA’s earnings and infrastructure spending, noting, “Over the last six years, we have earned 1.7 trillion rupees, but how much of that has been spent on infrastructure?” Addressing allegations of illegal activity, he stated, “If I am doing anything illegal, bring the evidence forward, and I will not come to the office from tomorrow.”
Opposition Leader Omar Ayub accused secret agencies of interfering with internet services, stressing the economic impact of frequent shutdowns. State Minister for IT Shaza Fatima Khawaja linked internet restrictions to growing security threats, citing terrorism as a key concern. “If the internet is shut down, where is the country’s growth supposed to come from?” she asked, referencing Pakistan’s recent $1.5 billion in exports as evidence of internet dependency.
The committee decided to delay further discussions on the bill, with Minister Haq announcing plans to incorporate feedback from stakeholders, including Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) members, before revisiting the matter.
Since January 3, internet services across Pakistan have slowed due to a fault in the AAE-1 submarine cable near Qatar, which disrupted one terabit per second (tbps) of bandwidth. PTCL is rerouting traffic to the SEA-ME-WE 4 and IMEWE cables, though delays exceeding 36 hours have been reported due to slow coordination with international partners. Normal internet speeds were expected to resume by January 4.
" 
” 
" 
” 
” 
” 
” 
