Islamabad, September 20, 2025: Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Major General (retd) Hafeez Ur Rehman has disclosed that the personal data of nearly 300,000 Hajj applicants has been leaked and is circulating on the dark web.
Briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology, chaired by Senator Palwasha Khan, the PTA chief stressed the need for a comprehensive investigation to identify the source of the breach. He said that while the PTA had conducted an internal inquiry in 2022, the Ministry of Interior has now launched a formal probe.
Committee member Senator Afnan Ullah Khan informed that stolen data is often obtained separately from different institutions, compiled, and then sold online. Chairperson Palwasha Khan also shared her personal experience of receiving a fraudulent banking call, raising concerns over how scammers gain access to such sensitive information.
Rehman clarified that no telecom user data had appeared on the dark web in the past two years but underlined the urgency of establishing a national-level data protection mechanism. The committee voiced concern over delays in passing legislation to safeguard personal information.
A Ministry of IT representative told the panel that a draft data protection bill has been prepared and consultations with stakeholders are ongoing. Senator Afnan Ullah warned that delaying the legislation could expose the country to serious risks.
The committee also reviewed the long-delayed merger of Ufone and Telenor. Officials from the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) said the deal was now in its final stages and could be completed within two weeks, though it had already faced an 18-month delay due to pending data submissions.
The PTA chairman added that the auction of 5G spectrum cannot take place until the merger is finalized. However, the Ministry of IT officials assured the committee that the auction is scheduled for December. Rehman said the PTA is fully prepared for the process, though some outstanding issues remain to be resolved.
