Islamabad: The Chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) informed the Senate Standing Committee on Information and Communications Technology on Monday about the huge arrears owed by Long-Distance International (LDI) companies.
Out of fifteen LDI companies, ten companies paid a total of Rs. 10 billion, leaving Rs. 24 billion unpaid and the accumulated late fees have taken the total arrears to Rs. 74 billion. The PTA head warned that canceling the licenses of these companies could severely disrupt services, potentially affecting 50% of mobile connections and 40% of ATM transactions across the country.
The committee also addressed Pakistan’s heavy dependence on foreign fiber-optic infrastructure. PTA officials have outlined a National Fiber Policy, which aims to reduce this dependence and ease pressure from outside parties.
In addition, discussions touched on the Draft Artificial Intelligence Regulation Bill 2024. While consultations are ongoing with stakeholders, concerns have been raised about the Ministry’s ability to effectively regulate AI, given its struggles in managing social media, particularly in tackling issues such as fake news. . One senator suggested that Pakistan could follow China’s regulatory approach by developing alternative domestic platforms.
The meeting also witnessed a discussion on the recent appointment of the new Secretary for ICT. One senator questioned why a PhD-qualified candidate would be passed over in favor of someone with more experience. The Foundation Department explained that practical experience was given priority over academic qualifications, sparking further discussions on how to improve the sector, especially in areas such as telecommunications infrastructure and IT exports.