The Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication on September 24 called for a briefing on a proposed national social media application for messaging and secure communication in Pakistan.

The committee, chaired by Senator Palwasha Mohammad Zai Khan, discussed the proposal during its meeting. The agenda also included the proposed Telecommunication Competition Rules, with Ministry of IT and Telecommunication officials seeking more time to finalise them as consultations with telecom operators and other stakeholders continue. The officials said the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) would also be involved in reviewing the rules.

An Additional Director of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) briefed the committee on measures taken against accounts containing blasphemous material and said investigations against those involved were underway. The committee directed officials to expedite the investigations.

The committee was briefed by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on an alleged Rs172 billion fraud involving call centres, with the case referred to the NCCIA for investigation. NCCIA officials also called for improvements in the visa issuance system and stronger mechanisms at the State Bank of Pakistan and SECP. The committee decided to form a subcommittee to investigate complaints of alleged overcharging by a major telecom company.