Pakistan’s mobile phone manufacturing sector is expanding, with 37 companies producing devices locally and the government seeking to attract Apple.
Pakistan’s mobile phone manufacturing sector has expanded significantly, with 37 companies currently manufacturing mobile phones in the country, the Engineering Development Board (EDB) told the National Assembly Standing Committee on IT and Telecom.
The development was shared during a committee meeting in which the EDB chief executive officer briefed lawmakers on the progress of local mobile phone manufacturing.
According to the EDB, more than 35 million mobile phones have been manufactured in Pakistan so far. The board said major mobile phone companies, with the exception of Apple, are now manufacturing devices in the country.
The EDB also briefed the committee on efforts to bring Apple into Pakistan’s mobile phone manufacturing ecosystem. According to the board, discussions are underway to encourage the US-based technology company to begin manufacturing phones locally.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is also expected to meet Apple CEO John Ternus during his upcoming visit to the United States, where the potential expansion of Apple’s manufacturing operations in Pakistan is expected to be discussed.
Committee Chairman Syed Amin-ul-Haque welcomed the expansion of local mobile phone manufacturing, saying it was encouraging that more phones are now being produced domestically. He also noted that locally manufactured devices are available at relatively lower prices.
Amin-ul-Haque called for a “Smartphone for All” vision to make modern smartphones more accessible to consumers across the country.
He further stressed the need to increase the volume of local production and shift the market toward newer technologies. He said Pakistan should focus on manufacturing 4G and 5G smartphones rather than continuing to rely on older 3G devices.
The committee chairman also emphasized that affordability should not come at the expense of quality, urging manufacturers to offer consumers devices that combine competitive prices with reliable standards.
IT Secretary Zarar Hasham told the committee that around 200 million users in Pakistan are currently using mobile phones, highlighting the size and potential of the domestic market.
The meeting also touched on mobile phone theft. Amin-ul-Haque said people in Karachi sometimes lose their phones within a short period and are subsequently forced to purchase replacement devices.
The expansion of local manufacturing could help Pakistan increase domestic production while giving consumers greater access to affordable smartphones. Government efforts to attract additional international brands, including Apple, could further expand the country’s mobile phone manufacturing ecosystem.
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