The Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication on Monday questioned the rationale behind the reported shift of Pak Datacom's satellite services to a foreign satellite, raising national security concerns. Senator Palwasha Mohammad Zai Khan chaired the committee meeting attended by Senator Kamran Murtaza, Senator Pervaiz Rashid and Senator Saadia Abbasi. Satellite communication, LDI/FLL court cases, Pak Datacom, network connectivity and matters related to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) came under discussion.

The committee was informed that limitations in national spectrum capacity were the primary reason for the reported shift. Officials further explained that YaSat was a UAE-based satellite company with majority government shareholding. The committee stressed the importance of safeguarding national security and directed that clients be appropriately informed about the use of foreign satellite infrastructure. The chairperson also recommended that the matter be audited through the relevant forum, including NITSB.

The committee also deliberated on the cases of employees whose services were terminated by Pak Datacom and urged the authorities to examine the matter on humanitarian grounds. Officials informed the committee that the matter was sub judice and would be decided by the relevant National Industrial Relations Commission (NIRC) bench. The chairperson suggested that a favourable approach be considered, within the legal framework, until final adjudication of the cases.

The committee was briefed on an audit objection to an alleged excess collection of Rs6.58 billion by a telecom company following a quarterly tariff increase of 15 percent on mobile packages. Director General Audit informed the committee that the initial proposal was for a 3 percent increase, whereas the approved increase was 15 percent. The Federal Audit also raised concerns over PTA's policy allowing telecom operators to increase tariffs by up to 15 percent. PTA, however, maintained that all prescribed procedural requirements had been fulfilled and stated that, after reconciliation, the amount involved was approximately Rs920 million.