- Microsoft will end operations in Pakistan 25 years after moving there
- Political and financial instability join the technological barriers as motivations to withdraw from Pakistan
- Neighboring India is expected to receive $ 3 billion in Microsoft investment over the next two years
After having reduced its workforce and operations to the bare minimum, Microsoft has now completely withdrew from Pakistan, 25 years after its opening in the country.
The news was revealed via an article Linkedin by Jawwad Rehman, the founding chief of Microsoft Pakistan, without official public announcement of the company herself.
However, this decision has already been confirmed, with full operations closed in Pakistan and only a liaison office with around five remaining employees.
Microsoft closes the store in Pakistan after 25 years
Although we think that the service and customer agreements will not have been affected through partners and regional offices, Microsoft must have imposed itself on economic instability, political volatility and technological barriers.
“It is more than a business outing. It is a signal that gives to think about the environment that our country has created. The one where even world giants like Microsoft find unsustainable to stay,” wrote Rehman on LinkedIn.
Unstable currency, obstacles to the importation of technological equipment, frequent political regime changes, unstable governance, internet stops, content blocks and difficulty moving funds and tools through borders are among the long list of factors likely to have influenced Microsoft’s decision.
In a separate position, Rehman asked the Honorable Minister of Computer Science and the Government of Pakistan “to actively initiate the regional and global leadership of Microsoft” so that the company can maintain a presence in Pakistan.
Neighboring India has become a key destination for technological investment in South Asia, Microsoft announcing its intention to invest $ 3 billion in the country over a period of two years earlier this year.
“India quickly becomes a leader in AI innovation, unlocking new opportunities across the country,” wrote CEO Satya Nadella.
The news comes only a few months after Microsoft also revealed that plans to end its joint operations in China.
