Islamabad:
The Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunications was said on Thursday that Pakistan is facing external pressure not to adopt laws that secure citizens’ data.
During a meeting of the committee, led by Senator Palwasha Khan in the House of Parliament, it said officials at the draft draft data protection are ongoing, with consultations with stakeholders.
Senator AFNANULLAH from PML-N revealed that the government is being pressed from abroad so as not to legislate on data protection. “If no law is submitted, the country will continue to suffer major losses. Data theft is already a billion-dollpipee black market,” he said.
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) President General General (RETD) Hafeezur Rehman also briefed the committee, which confirmed that Pakistani citizens’ data often appears on the dark web.
“About 300,000 Hajj applicant’s data is leaked. This requires a high-level study,” he said. He added that a study was initiated in 2022 and has now been taken up by the Ministry of the Interior.
Senators also expressed concern about board members of state telecommunications companies who allegedly received large perks. Senator Kamran Murtaza stated that these members receive $ 5,000 per year. Meeting and foreign trips. “Maybe we should also be added to such boards,” he said. The committee also criticized the IT Ministry for not presenting the data protection proposal despite repeated insurance.
The chairman demanded transparency in the appointment of members to the boards of Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) and UFONE, which emphasized the need for public accountability.
During a meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Thursday, the Ministry of Information Technology stated that the Internet speed in Pakistan had subsided due to the fact that uninvaled cables were cut off of the coast of Yemen.
According to the ministry, telecommunications companies had moved bandwidth to alternative routes, but restoration can take four to five weeks.
During the meeting, chairman of MNA Syed Aminul Haque, IT and telecommunications secretary Zarrar Hashim Khan said that not one or two, but four to five uninvaled cables had been interrupted near Yemen.
“Two of the cables supplying Pakistan have been affected, forcing companies to divert bandwidth to alternative routes. Repair of such cables requires special ships and full restoration can take a month.”
The committee was told that three new intruders would be operational within 12 to 18 months, which connects Pakistan directly to Europe. Agreements for these cables are already signed.
Committee member Sadiq Memon questioned why problems persist if three new cables are already planned. The secretary reiterated that several cable cuts of Yemen had created a serious situation and Pakistan’s connection was directly affected.
