- Advertisement -
ISLAMABAD, Nov 05 (APP): Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry on Wednesday announced that the Capital Development Authority (CDA), in collaboration with the National Telecommunication Corporation (NTC), will provide free public Wi-Fi at 30 designated locations across Islamabad.
Responding to questions during the National Assembly’s question hour, he said the selected sites include Metro Bus stations from Pak Secretariat to Peshawar Mor (14 stations) and from Faiz Ahmed Faiz to GT Road (seven stations), CDA Hospital, Japanese Park, Lake View Park, Daman-e-Koh, Fatima Jinnah Park, Sunday Bazaars in G-6 and H-9, as well as commercial centers in sectors F-6 and F-7.
“The 30 initial locations were chosen due to their high public activity, and we intend to add more sites going forward,” he added.
He said the service, costing around Rs3.5 million per month, would be provided free of charge to citizens on a pilot basis.
“Depending on public feedback and the success of this initiative, it will be expanded to more areas in the next phase,” the minister said.
Tariq Fazal said the CDA and Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration regularly receive public suggestions through social media and the CDA website, which would help guide the project’s expansion.
“This initiative aims to provide citizens with modern digital access and strengthen Islamabad’s smart city infrastructure,” he remarked.
He added that in the second phase, the CDA plans to extend the free Wi-Fi service to additional parts of the city.
The minister appreciated the suggestion by a Member of the National Assembly to introduce free Wi-Fi services at universities, calling it “a very good proposal.”
He said that most public universities in Islamabad already offer free Wi-Fi in libraries and study areas.
“We will reach out to universities to explore further cooperation. If they need assistance from CDA or NTC, full support will be provided to enhance student connectivity,” he assured.
Responding to another question, Tariq Fazal clarified that no website is blocked without valid reasons.
He said the government acts under the Electronic Crimes Act, which permits action against websites spreading false information, violating privacy, or running malicious campaigns against state institutions.
“No website is blocked arbitrarily. Action is taken only against those found violating privacy or spreading baseless allegations,” he said.