A Parliamentary Panel on Monday asked the government to advise cellular companies to install mobile towers in nearby areas of towns and villages in less developed parts of Balochistan province. The Sub-Committee of Senate Standing on Less Developed Areas was held with Senator Sardar Mohammad Azam Khan in the chair wherein it was observed that the cellular companies were installing towers in far-flung areas on mountains' peak and away from the residential areas, depriving local from the services.
The committee members also strongly protested against the behaviour of State Minister Anusha Rehman, saying she was running media campaign against members of the Standing Committee, accusing them of 'blackmailing', which was not acceptable. Secretary Ministry of Information Technology, Rizwan Bashir, Faisal Sattar Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Universal Service Fund (USF) along with other relevant officials while rejecting the notion said that mobile towers were not installed on mountains' peak and away from the population centers to benefit certain people. They informed that the towers were being installed on mountains for provision of best coverage to maximum people, adding that before the installation of a tower a transparent process is being followed.
The officials said the Government of Pakistan has established USF to develop the sector in Pakistan and in the areas where provision of cellular services were not feasible for mobile operators, the IT Ministry has directed them to build required infrastructure and the government will pay funds from USF.
The officials also informed the panel that the mobile companies were not public entities and are owned by private firms. They further said that this was their right to select suitable sites to install mobile towers, adding the government has nothing to do with it.
Senator Saeed-ul-Hassan Mandokhel said that some cellular companies want to install mobile towers in remote and the most less developed districts including Sheerani, Zhob, Loralai and Kharan of Balochistan for which it was advised that those places were not feasible in respect of security viewpoint. The committee directed the officials concerned to present details of all the towers to be installed in remote districts of the province with their environmental impacts, cost and other details in the next meeting.