Pakistan, Aug. 29 -- The government on Friday withdrew a controversial bill that sought to give telecom licensees sweeping powers to install infrastructure on public and private land, saying it would introduce a new draft of the proposed legislation.

The bill, seeking changes to a 1996 act, was originally tabled by Khawaja and approved by the National Assembly on June 11 by a majority vote, a day before the presentation of the federal budget 2026-27. It was then taken up in the Senate, where objections were raised about its clauses.

On Friday, a motion to withdraw the Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-organization) (Amendment) Bill, 2026 was moved in the upper house of Parliament by Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry on behalf ...