Search form

You are here

  • Home
  • After ‘big success’ in local cell phone manufacturing, Pakistan eyes expansion into exports


After ‘big success’ in local cell phone manufacturing, Pakistan eyes expansion into exports

A shopkeeper repairs a mobile phone at his shop after the government eased the nationwide lockdown imposed as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus, in Rawalpindi on May 11, 2020. (AFP/ File)
Short Url

https://arab.news/8xbj8

Updated 05 January 2022
KHURSHID AHMED 
Follow

After ‘big success’ in local cell phone manufacturing, Pakistan eyes expansion into exports

  • Pakistan produced 22.12 million handsets and imported 9.95 million during January-November 2021 period
  • Boom achieved under Mobile Device Manufacturing Policy 2020 which set 49 percent localization target by June 2023
Updated 05 January 2022
KHURSHID AHMED 

KARACHI: Pakistani commerce chief Adbul Razak Dawood said on Wednesday Pakistan had achieved “big success” in the manufacturing of mobile phones in 2021, with local production exceeding imports for the first time, and the country was now eyeing expansion into exports.

Pakistan, a net importer of mobile phones prior to 2016, produced 22.12 million handsets during January-November 2021 and imported 9.95 million during the same period, data from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) shows. In 2020, Pakistan’s import of mobile phones was 24.51 million compared to 13.05 million sets produced locally.

Various Chinese mobile phone manufacturers have played a key role in Pakistan’s production boom in 2021. The Itel, with 3.91 million mobile devices manufactured, topped the list followed by VGO Tel at 2.97 million, Infinix 2.65 million Vivo 2.45 million, Techno 1.87 million, QQMEE 0.86 million and Oppo 0.67 million, according to the PTA.

Local manufacturing plants assembled 9.03 million smartphones while the number of 2G mobile phones was 13.09 million.

“I would say that our whole venture into manufacturing mobile phones has been a big success,” Dawood, adviser to the prime minister for commerce, told Arab News on Wednesday. “It has been very successful because we now see that every month the number of mobile phones coming into the country is decreasing and the numbers that are being produced and sold locally is increasing.”

The PM’s aide said the record levels of local manufacturing were achieved under a new “conducive policy” introduced by the current government.

The Mobile Device Manufacturing Policy 2020 set a 49 percent localization target by June 2023, including 10 percent localization of parts of the motherboard and 10 percent localization of batteries.

“We have developed a policy for local assembling of mobile phones … We are currently looking at becoming a world class assembler of mobile phones,” Dawood said. “We are right now concentrating on low-end mobile phone sets and we hope that soon we will be able to start getting into high-end phones with world class companies like Samsung.”

The PM’s aide said after achieving a milestone in manufacturing, Pakistan was eyeing exports to regional countries and Africa. 

“We have started on an export journey, one or two containers have already moved out of the country. Our strategy is to get our mobile phone exported on a sustainable basis, ” Dawood said.

“Our strategy is that we export to Afghanistan, the Central Asian Republics and to Africa and as we become more and more experienced, we would be diversifying into the higher end market. We’re hopeful that [we can do this on a] sustainable basis sometime this year, 2022.”

Pakistani phone manufacturers said they were now assembling major brands and 90 percent of phones available in the country would be “made in Pakistan” soon.

“Now almost all major brands except iPhone are being made in Pakistan,” Aamir Allawala, CEO of Tecno Pack Electronics, a manufacturer of Chinese mobiles, told Arab News. “With production of Xiaomi starting this month, 90 percent mobile phone manufacturing will be made in Pakistan.”

Allawala said 2.5 to 3 million sets of Xiaomi would be produced per year in Pakistan in collaboration with Airlink Communication, adding that the local manufacturing industry had created 50,000 jobs already.

He said local producers were gearing up to meet the challenges of localization and the export of phones from Pakistan. 

“The manufacturers are gearing to meet the challenge of localization specified in the [mobile] policy and export mobile phones from Pakistan,”Allawala said, adding: “By increasing localization, production, and exports we have to create further 200,000 to half million jobs in the country”.”

Pakistan’s mobile phone imports increased by 51 percent to over $2 billion during the last fiscal year while the import bill increased by 18 percent during the current fiscal year, July-November 2021, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. 

“Yes.. despite local manufacturing of mobile phone, the import bill is rising,” the PM’s commerce adviser said. “However it is not rising as fast as the amount of mobile phones that are now being manufactured.”

He said the main imports were high-end phones, those priced above $1000, a market segment that is not being manufactured in Pakistan currently.
 

Topics: Pakistan

Authorities evacuate over 50 people from remote Pakistan district hit by sectarian clashes

Updated 21 December 2024
Follow

Authorities evacuate over 50 people from remote Pakistan district hit by sectarian clashes

  • Clashes between Sunni, Shia tribes have killed over 100 people in Kurram since last month
  • On Friday, authorities set a deadline of Feb. 1 for the warring tribes to surrender weapons
Updated 21 December 2024
REHMAT MEHSUD

PESHAWAR: More than 50 injured and ailing persons were evacuated on Saturday from the northwestern Pakistani district of Kurram, which has been hit by sectarian clashes in recent weeks, to Peshawar, provincial capital of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, disaster management authorities said.
Kurram, a tribal district of around 600,000 near Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan where federal and provincial authorities have traditionally exerted limited control, has been a flashpoint for sectarian tensions between Shia and Sunni tribes for decades.
Fresh clashes last month killed more than a hundred people, triggering a humanitarian crisis with reports of starvation, lack of medicine and oxygen shortages following the blocking of the main highway connecting Kurram’s main city of Parachinar to the provincial capital of Peshawar.
The injured and ailing persons were airlifted through helicopters from Kurram and safely transported to Peshawar on the instructions of KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, according to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA).
“Fifty-three affected people, including 14 patients, were brought to Peshawar by helicopter from Kurram district,” the PDMA said in a statement.
“The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Relief, Rehabilitation & Settlement Department has declared an emergency for relief activities in Kurram district in view of the prevailing situation. An emergency cell has been set up to safely transfer the affected people to hospitals in Peshawar.”
The PDMA said it was in touch with the Kurram district administration and utilizing all resources in this regard, adding that people could contact its emergency operations center at helpline 1700 for any information or guidance.
The development came a day after KP authorities set a deadline of Feb. 1 for warring Sunni and Shia tribes in the district to surrender all weapons and dismantle their bunkers to stem sectarian clashes in the region.
The decision was made at a meeting of the KP apex committee, which comprises civilian and military officials, to discuss a sustainable solution to the issue. It allowed the launch of a special air service for temporary evacuation from some parts of Kurram to protect people’s lives, according to the apex committee declaration.
“The agreement outlines that both sides will submit a detailed action plan within 15 days for voluntary submission of weapons,” read a declaration issued after the apex committee meeting.
“All weapons are to be deposited with the local administration by February 1. Additionally, it was decided that all bunkers in the area will be dismantled by the same deadline.”
In the meantime, land routes to the area would be opened intermittently on humanitarian grounds and a mechanism was put in place for secure transportation, according to the statement.
“Personnel of police and Frontier Corps will jointly provide security to the convoys,” it read.
Last month’s clashes erupted after rival tribes attacked convoys of passengers on the Parachinar-Peshawar road, which were followed by attacks on each other’s villages.
The apex committee asked both sides to avoid any violent action in the future to keep the land route safe and open at all times, hoping that the parties would fully cooperate with the government for a lasting solution to the issue.

Topics: kurram kurram district sectarian clashes militancy in Pakistan

Pakistan PM directs measures to increase sugar industry revenues, end hoarding

Updated 21 December 2024
Follow

Pakistan PM directs measures to increase sugar industry revenues, end hoarding

  • Sugar remains one of the largest consumed food commodities in the South Asian country
  • PM Sharif says government making efforts to ensure supply of sugar at affordable prices
Updated 21 December 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has asked officials to take steps to increase revenue collection from the sugar industry and to end hoarding of the commodity, Sharif’s office said on Saturday.
The prime minister issued the directives at a meeting he presided over in Lahore to review the implementation of a strategy to improve revenue collection.
Sugar remains one of the largest consumed food commodities in the South Asian country and is used in large amounts in food processing, beverages, and bakery items.
Owing to its huge demand, the government sets its procurement prices while the sugar industry is protected by a 40 percent import tariff to ensure prices remain stable. 
“Revenue collection will improve after the installation of video analytics in the sugar industry,” Sharif was quoted as saying by his office. “These reforms will end sugar hoarding and help balance prices.”
The prime minister said the government was making all efforts to ensure the supply of sugar at affordable prices.
“Regular monitoring of sugar stocks should be carried out so that the sugar supply chain is not affected,” he instructed officials, calling for strict and indiscriminate action against sugar mills that were evading taxes.
Over the decades, Pakistan has failed to generate tax revenues in higher amounts due to a narrow tax base, low compliance rate, an inefficient tax administration and massive tax evasion.
The South Asian country has set an ambitious target of collecting $46 billion through taxes this financial year (July 2024 till June 2025), amid efforts to revive its fragile $350 billion economy.

Topics: Sugar export sugar industry Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif

Pakistan rejects US allegations over missile program as ‘devoid of rationality’

Updated 21 December 2024
Follow

Pakistan rejects US allegations over missile program as ‘devoid of rationality’

  • A senior US official this week said Pakistan was developing long-range missiles that could threaten the US
  • The statement came after Washington said it was imposing new sanctions related to Pakistan’s missile program
Updated 21 December 2024
KASHIF IMRAN

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Foreign Office on Saturday dismissed as “unfounded” and “devoid of rationality” the allegations by a senior United States (US) official that its missile program posed a threat to the United States.
The Foreign Office statement came in response to comments made by US Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer, who said nuclear-armed Pakistan’s development of long-range ballistic missiles could potentially target the US.
The statement came after the US said it was imposing new sanctions related to Pakistan’s missile program, including on the state-owned defense agency that oversees the program. The sanctions freeze any US property belonging to the targeted entities and bars Americans from doing business with them.
The Foreign Office said that Pakistan had made it abundantly clear that its strategic program and allied capabilities were meant to thwart a “clear and visible existential threat from our neighborhood” — a reference to arch-foe India — and should not be perceived as a threat to any other country.
“The alleged threat perception from Pakistan’s missile capabilities and delivery means, raised by the US official are unfortunate. These allegations are unfounded, devoid of rationality and sense of history,” the Foreign Office said in a statement.
“Since 1954, Pakistan and the US have enjoyed a positive and broad-ranging relationship. The recent spate of US allegations toward a major non-NATO ally would be unhelpful for the overall relationship, especially in the absence of any evidence in this regard. Pakistan has never had any ill-intention toward the US in any form or manner, and this fundamental reality has not changed.”
Finer’s statement underscored how far the once-close ties between Washington and Islamabad had deteriorated since the 2021 US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. It also raised questions about whether Pakistan has shifted the objectives of nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs long intended to counter those of India, with which it has fought three major wars since 1947.
But the Foreign Office said Pakistan’s strategic capabilities were solely meant to defend its sovereignty, highlighting Pakistan’s long history of cooperation with the US, particularly in the counter-terrorism domain.
“We wish to reiterate that Pakistan’s strategic capabilities are meant to defend its sovereignty and preserve peace and stability in South Asia,” it said.
“Pakistan cannot abdicate its right to develop capabilities that commensurate with the need to maintain credible minimum deterrence as well as evolving and dynamic threats.”
Relations between the US and Pakistan have seen significant ups and downs. The countries collaborated during the Cold War and in the fight against Al-Qaeda after 9/11.
However, ties have been strained due to coups in the South Asian country by Pakistan’s military, support for the Taliban’s 1996-2001 rule in Afghanistan, and over the nuclear weapons program.

Topics: Pakistan US Ties Pakistan missile program Foreign Office Pakistan's foreign office

Islamabad urges Afghanistan to boost border security as infiltration attempt kills five

Updated 21 December 2024
Follow

Islamabad urges Afghanistan to boost border security as infiltration attempt kills five

  • Military says four TTP fighters and a soldier were killed as militants tried to enter Pakistani territory
  • Statement comes after media reported a deadly attack on a military outpost that killed 16 soldiers
Updated 21 December 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan military on Saturday urged the Taliban administration in Kabul to ensure robust border management after a group of militants tried to infiltrate from Afghanistan, leading to a skirmish that left four infiltrators and a soldier dead.
Relations between Islamabad and Kabul have deteriorated in recent years as militant violence surged in Pakistan, fueled by attacks from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Pakistani officials blame the TTP for the escalating violence, accusing the Afghan authorities of turning a blind eye to militants using their territory to launch cross-border attacks.
However, Kabul denies these allegations, insisting that Pakistan’s internal security is its own responsibility.
“On night 19/20 December, movement of a group of khwarij [TTP militants], trying to infiltrate through Pakistan-Afghanistan border, was picked up by the security forces in general area Rajgal, Khyber District,” the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations, said in a statement. “Own troops effectively engaged and thwarted their attempt to infiltrate. Resultantly, four Khwarij were sent to hell.”
The statement noted that one of the soldiers, Sepoy Amir Sohail Afridi, also lost his life amid intense exchange of fire.
“Pakistan has consistently been asking Interim Afghan Government to ensure effective border management on their side of the border,” it continued. “Interim Afghan Government is expected to fulfil its obligations and deny the use of Afghan soil by Khwarij for perpetuating acts of terrorism against Pakistan.”
The ISPR statement comes after media reported a deadly attack on a military outpost in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which was targeted by 30 militants from three sides. According to anonymous intelligence sources, the attack left 16 soldiers dead. The TTP claimed responsibility for targeting the outpost in a statement that described the attack as a retaliation to the recent killings of its top commanders.
The Pakistan military reiterated in its statement it remained committed to securing the borders. It added that its soldiers would also fight to eliminate the menace of militant violence.

Topics: Pakistan Afghanistan border Pakistan Afghanistan Ties militancy in Pakistan Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan

Pakistan Taliban claim raid killing 16 soldiers in northwestern province

Updated 21 December 2024
AFP
Follow

Pakistan Taliban claim raid killing 16 soldiers in northwestern province

  • Officials confirm privately militants set fire to the wireless communication equipment, documents
  • Pakistan’s military has not issued a statement on the siege of its outpost that lasted for two hours
Updated 21 December 2024
AFP

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani Taliban claimed a brazen overnight raid on an army outpost near the border with Afghanistan on Saturday, which intelligence officials said killed 16 soldiers and critically wounded five more.
The siege started after midnight and lasted about two hours as around 30 militants pummelled the mountainous outpost from three sides, one senior intelligence official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
“Sixteen soldiers were martyred and five were critically injured in the assault,” he said. “The militants set fire to the wireless communication equipment, documents and other items present at the checkpoint.”
A second intelligence official also anonymously confirmed the toll of dead and wounded in the attack in the Makeen area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, 40 kilometers (24 miles) from the Afghan border.
Pakistan’s domestic chapter of the Taliban claimed the attack in a statement, saying it was staged “in retaliation for the martyrdom of our senior commanders.”
The group claimed to have seized a hoard of military gear including machine guns and a night vision device.
Pakistan’s military has not yet issued a statement on the incident.
Pakistan has been battling a resurgence of militant violence in its western border regions since the Taliban’s 2021 return to power in Afghanistan.
Islamabad accuses Kabul’s rulers of failing to root out militants staging attacks on Pakistan from over the border.
The Pakistani Taliban — known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) — share a common ideology with their Afghan counterparts who surged back to power three years ago.
Kabul’s new rulers have pledged to evict foreign militant groups from Afghan soil.
But a UN Security Council report in July estimated up to 6,500 TTP fighters are based there — and said “the Taliban do not conceive of TTP as a terrorist group.”
The report said the Afghan Taliban show “ad hoc support to, and tolerance of, TTP operations, including the supplying of weapons and permission for training.”
The spike in attacks has soured Islamabad-Kabul relations. Security was cited as one reason for Pakistan’s campaign last year to evict hundreds of thousands of undocumented Afghan migrants.
 

Topics: Pakistan attack Militant attack Arab News Pakistan

Latest updates

More than 30 dead in Brazil bus and truck collision
Authorities evacuate over 50 people from remote Pakistan district hit by sectarian clashes
Hamas, two other Palestinian groups say Gaza ceasefire deal ‘closer than ever’
Aston Villa beat Manchester City to deepen Guardiola’s pain
Pakistan PM directs measures to increase sugar industry revenues, end hoarding

Search form

Print Edition
Read pdf version Subscribe now
© 2024 SAUDI RESEARCH & PUBLISHING COMPANY, All Rights Reserved And subject to Terms of Use Agreement.