PKI & Digital Signature Solutions in Pakistan
DictaLabs is a PKI, digital signature and certificate management company with offices in Lahore, Pakistan and Middletown, Delaware, USA. For digital signatures in Pakistan, we offer PKI software and consulting, with a local office in Johar Town, Lahore.
Legal framework
What Pakistani law says about digital signatures
Pakistani law gives electronic signatures legal effect, with some exceptions. The main law is the Electronic Transactions Ordinance, 2002 (Ordinance No. LI of 2002), dated 11 September 2002. Under section 18, the Federal Government set up the Electronic Certification Accreditation Council (ECAC).
Section 7: signatures
Where any law requires a signature, the requirement is “deemed satisfied where electronic signatures or advanced electronic signature are applied.” Section 3 adds that a document cannot be denied legal recognition on the ground that it is in electronic form and has not been attested by a witness.
Section 9: a presumption
In legal proceedings, an advanced electronic signature is presumed to be the signature of the person to whom it correlates, and the document is presumed unaltered since signing, unless evidence shows otherwise. One limb of the section 2 definition describes a signature that is unique to the signer, capable of identifying them, created under the signer’s sole control, and attached so that any later change to the document is detectable.
ECAC’s official website describes it as an autonomous body that operates under the Ministry of Information Technology & Telecom. ECAC publishes its regulations online, including audit regulations and 2023 drafts.
Section 23 requires ECAC to manage a repository that is open to public inspection. ECAC’s website links to its PKI repository, which lists root CA certificates, CRLs, CP/CPS documents, an OCSP service and a timestamping service at tsa.pki.gov.pk.
Two limits matter. Section 31 excludes some instruments, such as negotiable instruments, powers of attorney, wills and contracts for the sale or conveyance of immovable property, unless the Federal Government extends the Ordinance to them by notification. Section 17 deals with certification service providers, so review it and ECAC’s regulations with your lawyer before you offer certificates to the public. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Products
DictaLabs products for PKI in Pakistan
DictaLabs builds software for PKI and digital signatures. Organisations in Pakistan can use it to run a certificate authority, sign documents, add trusted timestamps, manage certificates and protect keys in HSMs.
An enterprise certificate authority platform. It is HSM-backed. Certificate and CRL profiles follow RFC 5280, and OCSP provides certificate status.
Certificate lifecycle management. It discovers, renews and automates certificates across multiple CA platforms, with ACME, SCEP and EST support.
Digital signatures and signing workflows. Teams can replace paper sign-offs with digitally signed documents.
Trusted timestamping based on RFC 3161 and RFC 5816, with ETSI EN 319 421/422 among its listed standards. A timestamp shows when digital data existed.
A central, HSM-backed cryptographic service with REST APIs. It offers PKCS#11 integration with HSMs such as Thales Luna, Entrust nShield, Utimaco CryptoServer, AWS CloudHSM and Azure Key Vault or Managed HSM.
New to PKI? Start with the PKI resources hub, or read private CA vs public CA and how RFC 3161 timestamping works.
Services
PKI consulting and security services
DictaLabs also offers services around PKI. They cover PKI architecture, documentation, identity and security assessments.
PKI development and consulting. This includes managed PKI for teams that would rather not run a CA themselves.
PKI architecture, CP/CPS documentation to RFC 3647, audit readiness for eIDAS and CA/Browser Forum requirements, and Common Criteria readiness support.
SSO and passwordless sign-in using SAML 2.0, OpenID Connect, OAuth 2.0 and FIDO2.
Application security assessments of the software around your PKI.
A free PKI and certificate risk assessment. It is a simple first step if you are unsure where to begin.
Preparing for an audit? Read common CP/CPS audit gaps or try the PKI health check.
Use cases
Typical PKI use cases by industry
These are typical use cases for PKI and digital signatures in Pakistan. They are examples, not a client list.
Banks can sign internal approvals and customer letters digitally, with signing keys kept in HSMs. Fintech firms can secure APIs and mobile apps with certificates from a private CA.
Government departments often handle large volumes of files and approvals. They can sign them digitally and add trusted timestamps to show when each record was signed.
Telecom operators can run a private CA for network devices, Wi-Fi and VPN access, and automate renewals across many certificates.
Enterprises can sign contracts and purchase orders digitally. Manufacturers can issue device certificates and sign software and firmware.
Hospitals can sign reports and use strong sign-in for clinical systems. Universities can sign degrees and transcripts so that others can verify them.
Does your use case look different? Tell us about it.
Lahore office
A PKI company in Lahore
DictaLabs has an office in Johar Town, Lahore. Organisations across Pakistan can contact us about PKI, digital signatures and certificate management. Our other office is at 651 N Broad St, Suite 201, Middletown, DE 19709, USA.
26 Block G4 Rd, Phase 2, Johar Town, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.
Phone: +1 352-451-6005. Email: info@dictalabs.com. You can also use our contact page.
A short list helps us prepare:
- What you need to sign, issue or protect
- Your current CAs and HSMs, and a rough certificate count if known
- Any audit, policy or go-live dates
- Who will run the PKI day to day
Send these details through the contact page and we can plan the first call.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Yes. DictaLabs offers vScrawl for digital signatures and signing workflows, and DictaLabs TSA for trusted timestamps. Our Pakistan office is in Lahore.
DictaLabs is located at 26 Block G4 Rd, Phase 2, Johar Town, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. Our other office is in Middletown, Delaware, USA.
Yes, with some exceptions. Section 7 of the Electronic Transactions Ordinance, 2002 says a legal requirement for a signature is deemed satisfied where electronic signatures are applied. Section 31 excludes some instruments, such as wills, powers of attorney and negotiable instruments. Ask your lawyer about your specific documents.
Yes. DictaLabs CA is an HSM-backed enterprise certificate authority platform with RFC 5280 profiles and OCSP. Our PKI development and consulting service, including managed PKI, helps with design and setup.
ECAC is the council set up under section 18 of the Electronic Transactions Ordinance, 2002. Its website describes it as an autonomous body under the Ministry of Information Technology & Telecom. It publishes a PKI repository with its root certificates and a timestamping service.
Yes. Certinium CLM discovers certificates and automates renewal across multiple CA platforms, using ACME, SCEP and EST. Our free PKI and certificate risk assessment is a good place to start.
Sources
Official sources
Plan your PKI project with DictaLabs
Contact DictaLabs about PKI, digital signatures or certificate management in Pakistan. Our Pakistan office is in Lahore.