Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication on Wednesday was informed that 40 percent of the Universal Service Funds (USF) were used to provide broadband services in the Balochistan province.
Senator Naseema Ehsan chaired the meeting that was attended by Senator Seemi Ezdi, Senator Rubina Khalid, Senator Kamran Murtaza, Senator Sania Nishtar, Senator Sana Jamali, Senator Dr. Afnan Ullah Khan, Senator Shahadat Awan, and senior officers of the Ministry Science and Technology along with all concerned.
While considering the draft of the Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023 introduced by Senator Dr. Afnan Ullah Khan, the Committee recommended that the Bill may be taken up at a further date so that the Ministry of Law may vet it along with the Government Bill on a similar topic to avoid duplicity. The matter will be taken up during the next meeting.
Discussing questions related to year-wise detail of total funds available and spent by USF, the Committee probed the reasons for non-connectivity in Baluchistan.
The Committee was informed that USF is working to formulate a Regulatory Framework for Balochistan Citing security concerns in the province as a major impediment. Projects had to be stalled in Kech, Panjgur, and Turbat due to security concerns, it added. PTA will be summoned in the next meeting.—APP
