PTA Blocks 826,000 Stolen Phones and 55 Million Fake Ones

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has blocked 826,000 stolen mobile devices reported through the Device Identification Registration and Blocking System (DIRBS). Additionally, 55 million fake or replica mobile phones have been identified and blocked to prevent the use of unauthorized and substandard devices on local networks.

Since 2019, a total of 136 million mobile handsets have been manufactured or assembled in Pakistan, including 37% smartphones. Local mobile manufacturing has shown consistent year-on-year growth. In 2019, 11.74 million devices were assembled locally. This increased to 13.05 million in 2020 (11% rise), then surged to 24.66 million in 2021 (89% increase). The trend continued with 21.94 million devices in 2022, but suffered a small dip in 2023, producing 21.28 million units. In 2024, production reached 31.38 million devices, a 47% increase over the previous year. By the first five months of 2025, 12.05 million units had already been manufactured.

The report indicates that over 94% of Pakistan’s mobile phone market demand is now being met through local manufacturing, significantly reducing dependence on imports. Commercial imports have dropped from 16.28 million in 2019 to just 0.76 million units in the first five months of 2025.

The local manufacturing sector has also supported economic development, with 36 manufacturing facilities established and 60,000 jobs created. In addition, the Government of Pakistan received Rs. 83.04 billion under the individual import category from January 2019 to June 2025, according to PTA figures.

In 2024, 59% of smartphone manufacturing in the country was conducted by Mobile Device Manufacturers (MDMs), indicating increased industry participation and investment in domestic production infrastructure.