The National Assembly’s (NA) Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunications on Monday summoned the Secretary Interior in the next meeting to present a clear timeline for resolving the issue of internet suspension in the constituency of Pullain Baloch.

The committee met under the Chairmanship of Syed Amin ul Haq, MNA here Parliament House, Islamabad. The committee expressed concern that a formal letter had been sent by the committee to the Secretary Interior regarding the suspension of internet services in the constituency of Pullain Baloch, followed by a reminder.

However, regrettably, no response has been received to date. Taking notice of this situation, the committee decided to call Secretary Interior in the next meeting to present a clear timeline for resolving the issue of internet suspension.

The committee emphasized that the residents of the said constituency, particularly students, are facing severe difficulties due to the continued disruption of internet services, and immediate redressal is essential.

The Chairman Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) informed the committee about the renewal of Long Distance International (LDI) License, stating that it remains unresolved because the license holders have not yet cleared certain payments amounting to Rs24 billion.

The Chairman PTA informed the Committee that due to the non-renewal of the LDI license the 40% of ATMs across the country will be impacted, 50% of long-distance calls will be affected, and 21% of international voice calls will face disruption.

Additionally, 10% of Internet Services within the country will also be adversely affected. The committee directed the PTA and the Ministry to hold one final meeting with the LDI license holders and make efforts to resolve the matter through an out-of-court settlement.

The committee said that the license holders should be given a deadline of one month to clear all their pending payments. Otherwise, their licenses should be terminated, and no renewal should be granted.

The committee appreciated the efforts behind the BEEP application, terming it a positive step designed for official correspondence between government officials and departments. It was informed that the application has been receiving positive feedback from various departments.

The committee directed that the BEEP application must be launched before June 30, 2025. Furthermore, if the BEEP administration is facing any issues, they should coordinate with the Ministry to resolve any underlying problems promptly, the committee held.

The Ministry further informed the committee that discussions with Starlink have almost been finalized. The licensing process is in its final stages, and, Starlink services will commence in Pakistan by November- December 2025.

The Chairman, PTA informed the committee that Pakistan is currently utilizing 274 MHz of the spectrum, which is insufficient. Approximately 860 MHz is required for smooth connectivity.

It was further informed that the Ministry is also facing litigation cases as one of the challenges in the spectrum auction process, which is causing delays in the 5G spectrum auction.

The committee appointed a sub-committee to examine the following TOR’s (Terms of Reference) and directed it to submit its report to the Committee within one month.

The Terms of Reference include: to analyze the pending litigation around Spectrum issues especially those that may potentially impact 5G auction, and to analyze cases where litigants have obtained stay orders causing financial loss to national exchequer.