Pakistan: industry on the ground
Oil production was confined to Punjab until 1981, when a company found the first field in Lower Sindh; by 1998-99 the Lower Sindh gas fields produced more oil than Punjab.
A Zone 1 / Zone 21 smartphone for crews on the gas fields of Sindh and Balochistan, the refineries at Karachi, Attock and Mahmood Kot, the LNG terminals at Port Qasim and the fertiliser plants. This page sets out how a rugged smartphone supply route to Pakistan will work for the IS-04Z1, and what is and is not available before launch.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. A rugged smartphone for Pakistan cannot be bought yet: the SAMS IS-04Z1 is pre-launch (certification in progress, no certificate issued), and the datasheet, certification schedule and safe-area evaluation units are available now.
For the record, no certificate exists for the IS-04Z1 today. The programme is under way ahead of a Q4 2026 launch. A buyer's engineering review is separate from the certificate. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
| Check | What to look for | IS-04Z1 today |
|---|---|---|
| Ingress protection | IP65 to IP68 sealing | IP68 design |
| Drop and shock | A stated drop height onto concrete | Specification on request |
| Explosion protection | A separate certificate and marking | In progress; not issued |
| Where it applies | Pakistan: Hub, Balochistan, Mahmood Kot, Muzaffargarh, Sui, Balochistan | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Pakistan. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
The classified areas, operators and sites below are the ones covered in the SAMS Pakistan market guide.
Oil production was confined to Punjab until 1981, when a company found the first field in Lower Sindh; by 1998-99 the Lower Sindh gas fields produced more oil than Punjab.
Domestic refining typically meets about 60% of Pakistan's diesel, 30% of motor gasoline and all jet fuel demand, so the rest arrives as imports through port terminals.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, headquartered in Islamabad, regulates telecom systems and radio spectrum under the 1996 Telecommunication (Re-organization) Act, with zonal offices in Karachi, Lahore, Gwadar, Quetta, Peshawar and other cities.
Pakistan's first gas field was found near Sui in Balochistan in 1952, and the Sui area remains a name associated with the country's gas supply and upstream classified-area work.
A rugged phone is built to survive water, dust, drops and rough handling, usually rated by an IP code and a drop specification. Ruggedness is an environmental property: it says nothing about whether a phone may be used where flammable gas or dust is present. That is decided by explosion-protection certification and marking.
The IS-04Z1 combines both: an IP68 sealed rugged build and a design for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target Ex ib IIC T4). The explosion-protection certificates are in progress and none has been issued.
In Pakistan. Summer ambients in Sindh and Balochistan are among the highest anywhere, dust storms come inland and monsoon humidity reaches the coast. IP68 sealing keeps particulate out and a rugged build copes with drops on hardstanding. Neither is explosion protection, and the certificate will state the ambient range once issued.
Nothing can be bought for Pakistan today: the IS-04Z1 is pre-launch, and SAMS will supply end users through authorised distributors once certificates exist. What a buyer can do now is take the specification, ask for the written certification schedule and arrange a safe-area evaluation, so that the right local channel contacts you at launch.
The technical specification, marking target and conditions of use, sent by email.
Which certificates are in progress, in what order, and what is still to be confirmed.
Evaluation units can be used for connectivity, MDM enrolment and workflow testing outside classified areas.
Tell us the site, zone, gas group and quantity so the right authorised distributor can contact you.
Not today. Until the certificates are issued the IS-04Z1 stays out of classified areas, and until launch there is nothing to purchase. You can ask for the datasheet and the certification schedule, or book a safe-area evaluation unit.
There is no list price yet. SAMS gives indicative pre-launch pricing in writing, against a stated quantity and site, and does not commit to a lead time before certification completes.
It is designed to IP68 sealing, with glove-friendly controls. Ruggedness is not explosion protection: that depends on the certificates, which are in progress.
The market guide for Pakistan covers Sui, Balochistan, Daharki and Ghotki, Sindh, Port Qasim, Karachi, Korangi, Karachi, among others. Site-level pages are linked below.
Through authorised distributors once certificates exist. Until then SAMS can send the datasheet and certification schedule and arrange safe-area evaluation units.
Allow for import clearance, courier or freight time and any PTA rules for radio-equipped devices, then keep spare batteries and chargers on site. Large refineries typically run contractor induction before work, so agree device approval at the start of planning.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, set up in 1996, regulates telecom systems and spectrum, with zonal offices in cities including Karachi, Lahore and Quetta. Device import and approval rules change over time, so check current PTA requirements with your importer before shipping.
Summer ambients there can pass 45 degrees. The certified ambient range is stated on the certificate and will be published when issued, so check it against your site maximum before planning summer use. IP68 and a rugged build help with dust but do not extend the certified range.
More on Pakistan, and on other places in Pakistan.
Tell us what you need to equip and where. The SAMS team answers by email with the datasheet and where each certification route stands.
Tell us the zone, gas group and operator. We will send the datasheet and the certification schedule.