The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has clarified that it is not responsible for preventing the import or smuggling of Indian-made iPhones and other mobile devices. This statement comes in response to an advisory issued by the Cabinet Division, which identified Indian-manufactured iPhones as a potential cybersecurity threat to Pakistan.

PTA emphasized that under the Import Order 2022, all Indian products, including mobile devices, are banned from being imported into Pakistan. Indian-manufactured iPhones and other devices are blacklisted and cannot be officially registered in the country.

The telecom regulator also highlighted that it blacklists the Type Allocation Code (TAC) assigned to India by the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA). This ensures that Indian devices cannot be registered in Pakistan’s Device Identification Registration and Blocking System (DIRBS), effectively preventing their legal activation with local SIM cards.

In its statement, PTA clarified that it does not have the legal authority to regulate the sale or purchase of mobile phones in the market. “Preventing the import or smuggling of Indian-made mobile devices falls under the jurisdiction of customs and other relevant departments, not PTA,” a spokesperson for the authority stated.

PTA reiterated that its role is limited to ensuring compliance with technical standards under the Telecommunications (Re-Organization) Act 1996 and the Terminal Device Type Approval Technical Regulation 2021. The authority also confirmed that it does not whitelist any Indian-manufactured iPhones or other mobile devices.

The Cabinet Division’s advisory had raised concerns about Indian-manufactured devices posing cybersecurity risks to Pakistan. However, PTA assured that its measures, including the blacklisting of Indian TAC codes and the inability to register Indian devices in DIRBS, ensure that such devices cannot be legally used in the country.