- Microsoft will end the operations in Pakistan 25 years after it moved there
- Political and financial instability unites technological barriers as motivations to retire from Pakistan
- The Indian neighbor will receive $ 3 billion in Microsoft investments in the next two years
After reducing their staff and operations to a minimum, Microsoft has now completely retired from Pakistan, 25 years after it opened in the country.
The news was revealed through a LinkedIn publication by Jawwad Rehman, the founding chief of Microsoft Pakistan, without a formal public announcement of the company itself.
However, the measure was almost confirmed, with complete operations closed in Pakistan and only a link office with around five remaining employees.
Microsoft closes the store in Pakistan after 25 years
Although it is believed that the service and customer agreements will not be affected through regional partners and offices, Microsoft finally had to eliminate economic instability, political volatility and technological barriers.
“This is more than a corporate exit. It is an alerting signal of the environment that our country has created … one in which even global giants like Microsoft find unsustainable to stay,” Rehman wrote on LinkedIn.
Unstable currency, barriers to import technological hardware, frequent changes in the political regime, unstable governance, internet closures, content blocks and difficulties to move funds and tools through borders are among the long list of factors that probably influence Microsoft’s decision.
In a separate position, Rehman asked the Honorable Minister of IT and the Government of Pakistan to “actively involve Microsoft regional and global leadership” so that the company can maintain a presence within Pakistan.
The Indian neighbor has become a key destination for technological investment in southern Asia, and Microsoft announced plans to invest $ 3 billion in the country for a period of two years earlier this year.
“India is quickly becoming an AI innovation leader, unlocking new opportunities throughout the country,” the CEO Satya Nadella wrote.
The news occurs only a few months after Microsoft also revealed plans to end its joint advantage operations in China.
