ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology on Monday discussed the reasons behind the ongoing internet disruption across the country.
Senator Palwasha Khan described the absence of the Minister and Secretary of IT as negligence on their part, given their failure to defend the ongoing internet disruption.
She pointed out that there are around 2.5 million freelancers in the country, many of whom are facing significant difficulties in earning their livelihoods due to the recent disruption. Despite inviting the Minister for IT, she has failed to attend the meeting for the third consecutive time. The Committee decided to write a letter to the Prime Minister, highlighting the Minister’s inability to defend the decisions of the ministry.
Senator Palwasha Mohammad Zai Khan chaired the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology today at the Old PIPS Hall, Parliament Lodges.
The Committee also criticized the Islamic Ideological Council’s comments on the blockage of VPNs, calling them unreasonable. In a humorous remark, the Committee suggested that the Islamic Ideological Council should also consider banning television, as it displays harmful content.
The Committee emphasized that blocking tools would not resolve the issue and suggested that the government should focus on regulating them instead. The Committee requested the Islamic Ideological Council to provide the basis for its judgment.
Additionally, the Committee discussed the recent letter from the Interior Ministry concerning the blockade of VPNs to the PTA, without informing the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications about its contents.
Senator Afnan Ullah raised questions about the legality of the Interior Ministry’s letter, stating that VPNs do not fall under the category of social media apps. The Committee directed the PTA to seek the legal opinion of the Attorney General of Pakistan on whether VPNs should be classified under social media apps.
The Committee was also briefed on the criteria for selecting the Secretary of IT. Officials from the Establishment Division explained that a candidate holding a graduation degree with 20 years of relevant experience could qualify for the position. Out of all candidates, fifteen were shortlisted for the interview.
However, Senator Dr. Mohammad Humayun Mohmand noted that, among the fifteen shortlisted candidates, three held PhDs and one was enrolled in a PhD program. Yet, the government selected a candidate with only a graduation degree.
The Committee expressed dissatisfaction with the selection criteria for the Secretary of IT, suggesting that it appeared to be designed to favor a “blue-eyed” individual.
In another discussion, the Committee addressed the pending court cases related to LDI and FLL companies. Officials informed the Committee that a total of 24 cases are pending in various courts, involving an alleged amount of Rs. 78 billion owed by LDI and FLL companies.
The principal amount claimed by the PTA in these cases is Rs. 24 billion, with an additional Rs. 54 billion in fines, accruing interest at a rate of 2% per month. Some of these cases have been under stay orders since 2011, with no efforts made to vacate them. Officials mentioned that they have made progress in consolidating these cases and hope for an early resolution.
Regarding the increased pension payments to PTCL pensioners by the Pakistan Telecommunications Employees Trust, officials noted that the matter is still sub judice and pending before the Supreme Court.
In attendance were Senators Kamran Murtaza, Nadeem Ahmed Bhutto, Dr. Afnan Ullah Khan, Dr. Mohammad Humayun Mohmand, Gurdeep Singh, Saifullah Sarwar Khan Nyazee, Chairman PTA Major General (R) Hafeez ur Rehman, and other senior officials from relevant departments.
