In a major milestone for Pakistan’s digital sovereignty, the National Telecommunication Corporation (NTC) has successfully developed the country’s first fully secure, made-in-Pakistan mobile phone specifically designed for government officials and sensitive communications.
According to senior NTC officials who spoke to ProPakistani, the pilot project has already produced ten prototype devices, marking a historic step toward establishing an indigenous secure communication ecosystem for the state.
Locally Engineered Hardware and Software
NTC confirmed that both the hardware and the operating system of the secure handset have been engineered entirely within Pakistan. The phone operates on a custom-built OS that does not connect to the internet, dramatically minimizing cyberattack exposure and reducing the risks associated with digital espionage.
All applications preloaded on the device have been designed by local engineers, ensuring complete control over the software supply chain—something that modern commercial smartphones lack.
How the Secure Phone Works
Officials disclosed several key security features:
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No internet connectivity, blocking any remote intrusion attempts.
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Only calls to another secure handset are allowed, preventing unauthorized communication.
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Compatible with SIM cards from all Pakistani telecom operators.
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No data backup feature, making data extraction impossible even in cases of theft, loss, or compromise.
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Communication is fully encrypted and cannot be intercepted, even by advanced monitoring systems.
These capabilities ensure that government-level discussions remain confidential, offering a level of protection far beyond what commercially available communication apps can provide.
Why Pakistan Needed a Secure Government Phone
NTC officials emphasized the urgency of developing such technology, noting that popular messaging applications like WhatsApp are not secure for sensitive communication. They highlighted that service providers can access user data, and during the recent Pakistan-India conflict, several WhatsApp conversations involving official channels were reportedly exposed.
This raised alarms across the government, underlining the need for a secure, sovereign communication platform completely independent of foreign services.
Pilot Phase Completed — Mass Production Requires Funding
The first batch of ten secure devices has been created and delivered as part of the pilot phase. NTC officials briefed higher authorities that scaling the project for mass deployment across ministries and security institutions will require additional dedicated funding.
If approved, Pakistan could soon equip its departments with locally manufactured secure phones, significantly improving cybersecurity resilience at the national level.
A Step Toward Digital Independence
Pakistan’s new secure phone initiative reflects a broader global trend in which countries are seeking indigenous alternatives to foreign communication systems. By designing its own hardware, operating system, and encryption layer, Pakistan moves closer to technological independence in areas that directly affect national security.
