Why the draft was shelved again
Islamabad’s National Assembly standing committee on information technology and telecommunication has once more put off the Electronic Transactions Amendment Bill 2026. The pause came on Tuesday after the Ministry of Law and Justice asked for breathing room to settle contested clauses with the Pakistan Peoples Party before lawmakers move further.
Committee chair Aminul Haq oversaw the decision. A ministry official told members that bargaining with the PPP has reached a late stage and that a shared text should emerge soon. Until then, the Electronic Transactions Amendment Bill 2026 will come back only when the panel meets again.
Connectivity complaints in the same sitting
Alongside the legislative delay, members voiced anger at weak mobile broadband that has barely improved despite almost two years of assembly pressure. They said dropouts still hit large centres such as Karachi and Islamabad, while smaller towns and far-flung districts suffer more, with voice apps such as WhatsApp often cutting mid-call.
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA, the telecom regulator) chair Major General (retired) Hafeezur Rehman said operators received five show-cause notices for weak quality in the last quarter. Collecting fines has stalled, he added, because companies won court stays. He linked much of the disruption to long electricity failures, especially in the countryside, where cuts of 12 to 16 hours a day remain common.
5G rollout and the wider digital plan
On next-generation mobile service, Rehman reported that roughly seven-tenths of Karachi’s 5G offering is already live and that about 2,300 towers nationwide have been upgraded for the technology.
The Pakistan Digital Authority also outlined its National Digital Master Plan, which aims to deepen online public services, commerce and administration. The body estimated that a broad shift online could raise national output by USD 60 billion to USD 80 billion across the coming five years—figures that sit beside the still-unfinished Electronic Transactions Amendment Bill 2026 rather than replacing the need for clearer rules on digital deals.
What comes next
Officials signal that coalition talks with the PPP are close to a finish, so the bill’s next formal review depends on when that bargain lands and when the standing committee reconvenes. Until then, the statute stays frozen while the same session’s record on network quality and court-blocked penalties continues to shape how far digital services can reach ordinary users.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Electronic Transactions Amendment Bill 2026 dubara ruk gaya hai kyunke hukumat PPP se pehle ittefaq chahti hai. Internet ab bhi bohot jagah kamzor hai, khas tor par bijli jane wali ilaqon mein. PTA ke mutabiq companies par notices lage, lekin court stay ki wajah se jurmane wasool nahi ho rahe. Jab tak naya qanoon pass nahi hota, online kharid-farokht ke rules purane hi rehenge.
