Pakistan Launches First Locally Made Secure Smartphones, Boosting National Tech Industry

Pakistan has achieved a major milestone in secure communications by developing a fully made-in-Pakistan mobile phone specifically designed for government officials. The device has been developed under a pilot project led by the National Telecommunication Corporation (NTC), with both hardware and software engineered entirely within the country, highlighting Pakistan’s growing capability in secure technology.

According to NTC officials, the secure handset runs on a custom-built operating system that deliberately does not connect to the internet, significantly reducing the risk of cyber intrusions. All applications installed on the phone are locally developed, and it is compatible with SIM cards from any Pakistani telecom operator. Importantly, calls can only be made to other secure devices of the same type, ensuring a fully controlled communication network.

The phone has been designed with security at its core: it lacks any backup features, making data extraction impossible in the event of theft or compromise. Communications through the device cannot be intercepted or monitored, providing complete protection for sensitive government conversations.

Officials revealed that ten units have been produced in the first phase of the pilot project. Expanding production for wider government use will require additional funding, but the initial rollout demonstrates Pakistan’s capability to produce a domestic solution for secure communications.

NTC officials also highlighted the limitations of commercial messaging platforms, noting that services like WhatsApp are not fully secure since providers can access user data. They pointed to incidents during the recent Pakistan-India conflict where sensitive communications over WhatsApp were exposed, reinforcing the critical need for a dedicated secure communication device for government personnel.

This development marks a significant step forward in Pakistan’s pursuit of self-reliant, secure technology solutions for official communications, combining local innovation with advanced cybersecurity features.