Senators Question Starlink’s Entry into Pakistan

The Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunications, chaired by Senator Palwasha Khan, held a heated meeting over the future of Pakistan’s telecom sector, with a major focus on Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet.

Starlink has recently applied for a Long Distance International (LDI) license in Pakistan. However, several senators raised concerns about Musk’s alleged anti-Pakistan stance on social media.

Senator Afnan Ullah accused Musk of running discriminatory campaigns against Pakistanis, while Senator Anusha Rahman insisted that Musk’s background must be thoroughly vetted before allowing operations.

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The committee has summoned officials from the Competition Commission of Pakistan and the Space Regulatory Authority in its next session to further deliberate on Starlink’s licensing and related telecom issues.

Earlier this year, the Senate Standing Committee on IT had also accused Musk of siding with India to push a false narrative against Pakistan. One senator even suggested that Musk should issue a public apology before Starlink is allowed to operate.

Meanwhile, the Secretary of IT clarified that Musk’s comments on social media were misleading but unrelated to the company’s formal application process.