By Ali Imran
ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunications Thursday discussed the issue of recent internet disruptions across the country causing real-time hindrances for individuals running e-commerce businesses.
Senator Palwasha Muhammad Zai Khan chaired the meeting. Secretary for the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications, Aisha Humera Chaudhry, explained that there is no issue with broadband connections; however, mobile operators using mobile data are facing disruptions. The PTA is assessing the issue, and the ministry will be in a better position to provide an overview once the assessment is completed in two weeks. The committee addressed the complaint of MNA Ali Jaan Mazari regarding poor internet service in Kashmore.
He said that internet services have been crawling for the last four months, and despite several requests, no action has been taken so far. PTA officials highlighted that there are around 156 sites of three major service providers in the area and that internet services are mostly down due to unannounced load shedding.
However, the PTA is assessing the issue and will submit its report in the next 15 days. The committee also directed the PTA to submit its quarterly survey report at the next meeting.
Shaza Fatima Khawaja, State Minister for IT, while informing the committee said that the proposal was moved forward by the Establishment Division and that the ministry will brief the committee on the matter in the upcoming week.
The committee deliberated on the Bill titled “The Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023.” Senator Dr. Afnan Ullah Khan, the bill’s mover, said that the primary purpose of the bill is to protect the data of citizens because, as of now, there is no law in place for this purpose.
Officials of the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications informed that the ministry has consulted with over 100 local and international stakeholders and is working on a final draft to address the grievances of stakeholders.
The draft will be completed in the next fifteen days, they added. The committee, considering the importance of the bill for the country, recommended that the ministry to complete the draft as soon as possible. Furthermore, the committee was briefed by the Virtual University regarding its performance and operations.
The Rector of Virtual University, Arshad Saleem Bhatti, informed that Virtual University was the country’s first university to start the flipped classroom model in 2002, aiming to benefit working students.
