The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication has unanimously passed ‘The Establishment of Telecommunication Appellate Tribunal Bill, 2024’ without amendments.
The committee, chaired by Syed Amin Ul Haque, discussed the bill in detail. A representative from the Ministry of Law and Justice informed the committee that the establishment of all tribunals falls under its jurisdiction.Â
The appointment process for the Chairpersons of the tribunal involves the Ministry of Law and Justice publishing an advertisement in newspapers. A Search Committee, headed by a Grade 20 Officer, screens candidates according to set criteria, shortlists them, and forwards their names to the Federal Council. The Council, led by the Law Minister and including two Federal Secretaries, conducts interviews and makes recommendations to the Federal Cabinet, which then appoints the Chairperson and tribunal members.
The committee also addressed the e-Office system, which has not been properly implemented within ministries despite the Prime Minister’s directives.Â
State Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja emphasized that the implementation should start from the top levels, including Federal Secretaries and Ministers, and then proceed downwards to digitize the entire system. She stressed the need for all ministries to contribute to creating a paperless environment and improving efficiency.Â
The committee recommended that the Ministry develop a policy to secure official correspondence and documents. The Chairman of the National Information Technology Board (NITB) briefed the committee on the launch of the Apostille application, requested by the Foreign Office to address the needs of overseas employees and their document processing. The committee directed that the application be launched within 15 days to resolve issues faced by overseas employees.
Additionally, the committee emphasized the need for the Ministry to collaborate with Provincial Ministers for Information Technology to implement IT policies in other provinces. Concerns were raised about the lack of mobile data services in four districts of Baluchistan for the past three years. The committee decided to call the Chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to its next meeting to address this issue, asserting that access to the Internet is a fundamental right.
The meeting was attended by MNAs Mukhtar Ahmad Malik, Ahmad Atteeq Anwar, Ammar Ahmad Khan Leghari, Mahesh Kumar Malani, Syed Mustafa Kamal, Pullain, Sher Ali Arbab, and Umair Khan Niazi, along with officials from the Ministry.
