A meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication was held on Wednesday at Parliament House, Islamabad. 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 Honourable Senator Dr. Afnan Ullah Khan, the Committee recommended that the Bill may be taken up on a further date since 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 Universal Service Fund USF, the Committee probed the reasons for non-connectivity in Baluchistan. The Committee was informed that 40 percent of the USF’s total strength is focussed on Balochistan. However, due to being sparsely populated ensuring cent percent connectivity, especially that is 4 G related, is impossible. The Committee was informed that USF is working to formulate a Regulatory Framework for Balochistan Citing security concerns in the province 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- ----------------
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