Microsoft leaves Pakistan but promises customers won't notice the change
(2025/07/04)
- Reference: 1751585780
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2025/07/03/microsoft_quits_pakistan/
- Source link:
Exclusive Microsoft has decided to close its presence in Pakistan.
News of the closure emerged in a [1]LinkedIn post by Jawwad Rehman, who established and led Microsoft’s Pakistan subsidiary.
A Microsoft spokesperson commented on Rehman’s post as follows
As a part of regular process of business evaluation and optimization, we are changing our operating model in Pakistan. Our customer agreements and service will not be affected by this change.
We will serve our customers through both our strong and extensive partner organization, and other closely located Microsoft offices.
We follow this model successfully in a number of other countries around the world. Our customers remain our top priority and can expect the same high level of service going forward.
Rehman’s post states Microsoft Pakistan was down to a “few remaining employees.” The Register understands that Microsoft’s presence in Pakistan was perhaps just five people and that all local workers lost their jobs.
The software giant’s claim that its decision to leave Pakistan won’t hurt customers therefore seems reasonable.
[2]
Pakistan is home to over 250 million people, making it the world’s fifth-most populous country and therefore an obvious target for the technology industry. However, the nation’s politics and governance are tumultuous, with no prime minister in the country’s 75-year history serving a full term.
[3]
[4]
Tech industry investors have seldom considered the country, in stark contrast to neighbouring India, which in addition to growing its own giants like Infosys and HCL has become a major source of talent for the global tech industry.
Also in the region, cashed-up Gulf states have successfully wooed tech companies. Indonesia, the world’s fourth-largest country by population, has attracted datacenter investments from the likes of Microsoft, AWS, and Alibaba Cloud.
[5]Pakistan's tax office denies pirated software caused outage – admits it sometimes runs unsupported software
[6]Pakistan's tech lobby warns that slow internet is strangling IT industry
[7]Pakistan’s internet slows to uncomfortable levels, allegedly due to new China-style firewall
[8]Pakistan punishes tax dodgers with new measures to ensure telcos cut off their mobile phones
Pakistan’s government has tried to grow its technology industry, and earlier this week [9]reportedly announced a plan to arrange certifications in Microsoft and Google technology for half a million youths. Past efforts included a plan to promote freelance IT workers who serve offshore clients using gig work platforms, but frequent [10]internet shutdowns and content blocks , plus [11]poor broadband infrastructure have hampered that effort.
Microsoft now thinks Pakistan isn’t worthy of even a tiny outpost. ®
Get our [12]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.linkedin.com/posts/activity-7346194356552228864--kOc
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aGdR1gc8t1J129q8gPaBKgAAAJE&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aGdR1gc8t1J129q8gPaBKgAAAJE&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aGdR1gc8t1J129q8gPaBKgAAAJE&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2021/08/26/pakistan_federal_board_of_revenue_software_licensing_snafus/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2024/11/21/pakistan_tech_industry_fears/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2024/08/20/pakistan_minister_denies_firewall/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2024/06/14/pakistan_budget_technology/
[9] https://www.techjuice.pk/govt-announces-google-microsoft-it-certifications-for-500000-youth/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2023/05/11/pakistan_protest_internet_cut/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2024/11/21/pakistan_tech_industry_fears/
[12] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
News of the closure emerged in a [1]LinkedIn post by Jawwad Rehman, who established and led Microsoft’s Pakistan subsidiary.
A Microsoft spokesperson commented on Rehman’s post as follows
As a part of regular process of business evaluation and optimization, we are changing our operating model in Pakistan. Our customer agreements and service will not be affected by this change.
We will serve our customers through both our strong and extensive partner organization, and other closely located Microsoft offices.
We follow this model successfully in a number of other countries around the world. Our customers remain our top priority and can expect the same high level of service going forward.
Rehman’s post states Microsoft Pakistan was down to a “few remaining employees.” The Register understands that Microsoft’s presence in Pakistan was perhaps just five people and that all local workers lost their jobs.
The software giant’s claim that its decision to leave Pakistan won’t hurt customers therefore seems reasonable.
[2]
Pakistan is home to over 250 million people, making it the world’s fifth-most populous country and therefore an obvious target for the technology industry. However, the nation’s politics and governance are tumultuous, with no prime minister in the country’s 75-year history serving a full term.
[3]
[4]
Tech industry investors have seldom considered the country, in stark contrast to neighbouring India, which in addition to growing its own giants like Infosys and HCL has become a major source of talent for the global tech industry.
Also in the region, cashed-up Gulf states have successfully wooed tech companies. Indonesia, the world’s fourth-largest country by population, has attracted datacenter investments from the likes of Microsoft, AWS, and Alibaba Cloud.
[5]Pakistan's tax office denies pirated software caused outage – admits it sometimes runs unsupported software
[6]Pakistan's tech lobby warns that slow internet is strangling IT industry
[7]Pakistan’s internet slows to uncomfortable levels, allegedly due to new China-style firewall
[8]Pakistan punishes tax dodgers with new measures to ensure telcos cut off their mobile phones
Pakistan’s government has tried to grow its technology industry, and earlier this week [9]reportedly announced a plan to arrange certifications in Microsoft and Google technology for half a million youths. Past efforts included a plan to promote freelance IT workers who serve offshore clients using gig work platforms, but frequent [10]internet shutdowns and content blocks , plus [11]poor broadband infrastructure have hampered that effort.
Microsoft now thinks Pakistan isn’t worthy of even a tiny outpost. ®
Get our [12]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.linkedin.com/posts/activity-7346194356552228864--kOc
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aGdR1gc8t1J129q8gPaBKgAAAJE&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aGdR1gc8t1J129q8gPaBKgAAAJE&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aGdR1gc8t1J129q8gPaBKgAAAJE&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2021/08/26/pakistan_federal_board_of_revenue_software_licensing_snafus/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2024/11/21/pakistan_tech_industry_fears/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2024/08/20/pakistan_minister_denies_firewall/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2024/06/14/pakistan_budget_technology/
[9] https://www.techjuice.pk/govt-announces-google-microsoft-it-certifications-for-500000-youth/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2023/05/11/pakistan_protest_internet_cut/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2024/11/21/pakistan_tech_industry_fears/
[12] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Earth
elsergiovolador
One down, 194 to go. Please let the UK be next. Then Earth. Please.
Top priority
retiredFool
You know they are lying thru their teeth when the phrase, "Our customers remain our top priority and can expect the same high level of service going forward." is in the presser.
Sometimes when bored I'd browse random subreddits, including ones about India and Pakistan. A lot of posts in the Indian subreddits were about finding ways to migrate anywhere outside of India. I was shocked to see a lot of posts in the Pakistani subreddits were about figuring out how to get in to India. I'm not sure what kind of metric you'd call that, but it doesn't look good.