Senate IT Committee to Review Rising Mobile Data and Call Rates

The Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication has called a key meeting on December 9 to examine the sharp rise in mobile data and call package rates. The committee directed the Ministry of IT to provide a full briefing on recent tariff hikes and the steps taken to safeguard consumer rights. According to the meeting notice, the committee will receive a detailed update from the Minister for IT and Telecom on the pricing actions taken by mobile operators and the regulatory response to public complaints. The agenda also includes a review of Senator Atta ur Rehman’s concern regarding the suspension of mobile services in District Lakki Marwat. Officials from the Interior Ministry and Islamabad administration have been summoned to clarify how data collected through the ICT Household Survey app is stored, who has access to it and the security protocols in place. A separate briefing will cover Islamabad’s vehicle monitoring system and real time data protection measures for E tag users. The committee will also investigate allegations reported in the media about Rs. 1.5 crore per month in bribes allegedly taken from illegal call centers by officials of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency. The Director General NCCIA has been asked to explain internal controls and actions taken so far. Lawmakers will further seek information on PTCL’s last audit and the names, designations, meeting frequency and remuneration of Ufone’s Board of Directors for the past two years. The Chairman PTA has been instructed to brief the committee on the licensing rules for Virtual Private Networks and the future process companies must follow to obtain VPN permissions. The CEO of the Universal Service Fund will also present a compliance report on mobile coverage issues raised by parliamentarians, including complaints from the Sukkur Karachi M-9, the N-5 highway, several districts in Balochistan, Umerkot, Abbottabad and Kashmore. The session will be chaired by Senator Palwasha Mohammad Zai Khan at the Old PIPS Hall in Islamabad, with members urged to ensure full attendance.