Pakistan's IT Ministry Begins Drafting Telecom Competition Rules

The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication has informed the Senate that the Telecom Competition Rules, required under Section 57 of the Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-organization) Act, 1996, have not yet been promulgated or notified. This information was shared by Minister for IT and Telecom Shaza Fatima Khawaja in a written reply to the upper house of Parliament. According to the reply, the drafting of the Telecom Competition Rules is currently underway. The minister stated that the rules are being prepared after reviewing regulatory frameworks and experiences from other countries to ensure alignment with international best practices in telecom market regulation. The proposed rules aim to establish a structured framework to promote fair competition in Pakistan’s telecom sector. They will also address anti-competitive practices and define mechanisms for market assessment and regulatory remedies. Once finalized, the draft rules will be shared with relevant public and private sector stakeholders for feedback. Following the consultation process, the rules will be processed further in line with the prescribed legislative procedure. The ministry stated that stakeholder input will be considered before the rules move toward formal notification, as required under the existing legal framework.