A meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on IT and Telecommunication, chaired by Senator Palwasha Khan, discussed various issues, including internet connectivity and national security challenges.
During the meeting, Senator Palwasha Khan expressed concerns over the Ministry of IT’s reliance on the Interior Ministry for addressing critical challenges, questioning the purpose of the IT Ministry itself.
IT Ministry officials stated they are working to ensure national security requirements are met while minimizing the impact on the IT industry.
Secretary IT explained that internet services are suspended only in cases of national security, prompting Senator Kamran to question why such issues are unique to Pakistan and not prevalent in neighboring countries like India.
Minister of State for IT and Telecommunication, Shaza Fatima, briefed the committee on the challenges in internet services, citing increased demand and the lack of investment in IT over the past three years. She also announced that the 5G spectrum auction is scheduled for April.
Shaza Fatima further revealed that discussions are underway with Starlink, Elon Musk’s satellite internet provider, to explore its potential entry into Pakistan to improve internet connectivity across the country.
Leave a comment