Pakistan’s smartphone industry continues to expand, with 37 companies now permitted to manufacture mobile phones locally and around 26 million devices being assembled in the country. However, despite the growth of local production, lawmakers have raised concerns over high smartphone taxes and the absence of major global brands such as Apple from the Pakistani market.
The National Assembly Standing Committee on Information Technology questioned the heavy taxes on smartphones and urged the government to convince Apple to establish a presence in Pakistan.
During the committee meeting, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) chairman briefed lawmakers on taxes and duties imposed on mobile phones. He said taxes on some devices reach as high as 60 percent, adding that such rates are very high for consumers. However, he clarified that these taxes are not imposed by the PTA.
The PTA chief said the authority regularly recommends tax reductions through the Ministry of Information Technology. He also noted that the PTA does not determine taxes on individual smartphone models and does not even know the exact amount charged on each device. According to him, the authority’s role is limited to the registration and whitelisting of mobile phones.
Committee Chairman Syed Amin Ul Haque said smartphones can no longer be considered luxury products. He stressed that mobile phones have become an essential need for people in everyday life and that high taxes make access to technology more difficult for many Pakistanis.
The discussion also focused on Pakistan’s growing local smartphone manufacturing sector. The PTA chairman informed lawmakers that the authority has granted permission to 37 companies to manufacture mobile phones in the country. He added that around 26 million mobile phones are currently being assembled in Pakistan, while only 8 percent of devices are imported.
Minister of State for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja told the committee that premium smartphones, including Apple’s iPhones and Google’s Pixel devices, are among the phones imported into Pakistan. She added that these imported premium devices are subject to taxes and duties.
The issue of Apple’s absence from Pakistan also came under discussion during the meeting. Syed Amin Ul Haque questioned why the company has not entered Pakistan even though firms such as Nokia and Samsung already have an established presence in the country.
“If Apple can come to India and Bangladesh, then why can’t it come to Pakistan?” the committee chairman asked.
Following the discussion, the committee directed the Ministry of Information Technology to engage with Apple and encourage the company to enter the Pakistani market. Lawmakers said the arrival of major global technology companies could improve consumer choice and strengthen Pakistan’s digital ecosystem.
