Islamabad:
On Thursday, the Senate Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunications that Pakistan faces external pressure so as not to promulgate laws that ensure the data of citizens, was told Thursday.
During a committee meeting, chaired by Senator Palwlawa Khan in the Chamber of Parliament, IT ministry officials said that the work in the Data Protection bill is ongoing, with ongoing consultations with the interested parties.
Senator Affanullah of the PML-N revealed that the government is being pressed from abroad not to legislate on data protection. “If no law is made, the country will continue to suffer from mass losses. Data theft is already a black market of one billion rupees,” he said.
The president of the Telecommunications Authority of Pakistan (PTA) Major General (RETD) Hafeezur Rehman also informed the committee, confirming that the data of the Pakistani citizens appear frequently on the dark website.
“Around 300,000 Hajj applicants have leaked. This requires high -level investigation,” he said. He added that an investigation was initiated in 2022 and that it has now been carried out by the Interior Ministry.
The senators also expressed concern for the members of the Board of State Telecommunications Companies that allegedly received great advantages. Senator Kamran Murtaza declared that these members get $ 5,000 per meeting and foreign trips. “Maybe we should also add to such boards,” he joked. The Committee also criticized the IT ministry for not presenting the draft Data Protection Law despite repeated guarantees.
The president demanded transparency by appointing members for the Telecommunications Company of Pakistan Limited (PTCL) and UFONE, emphasizing the need for public responsibility.
During a meeting of the Permanent Committee of the National Assembly on Thursday, the Ministry of Information Technology declared that the Internet speed in Pakistan had slowed because the underwater cables were cut on the Coast of Yemen.
According to the Ministry, telecommunications companies had changed the bandwidth to alternative routes, but the restoration could take four to five weeks.
During the meeting chaired by MNA Syed Aminul Haque, and the Secretary of Telecommunications, Zarrar, Hashim Khan, said not one or two, but four to five underwater cables had been cut near Yemen.
“Two of the cables that supply Pakistan have been affected, which forced companies to divert bandwidth to alternative routes. The repair of such cables requires special ships and the complete restoration could take a month.”
It was told to the committee that three new submarine cables would function in operation within 12 to 18 months, linking Pakistan directly with Europe. Agreements have already been signed for these cables.
The member of the Sadiq Memon committee questioned why the problems persist if three new cables are already planned. The Secretary reiterated that multiple Cable of Yemen had created a serious situation and that Pakistan’s connectivity was directly affected.
