Islamabad: After multiple reports of the tech giant Microsoft shutting down its operation in Pakistan, Islamabad has now called such media reports to be fasle and “misleading”. Pakistan has claimed that Microsoft has “not closed any office in Pakistan.”
The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication of Pakistan reportedly issued a statement making such claims. The statement called the closure reports anti-Pakistan propaganda. The ministry issued a statement on Saturday (June 5), stating that Microsoft never had a permanent office in Pakistan.
Instead, the global tech giant has been operating a liaison office in the country, it claimed. But several reports claimed that Microsoft Corporation has formally shut down its operations in Pakistan, bringing an end to its 25-year presence in the country.
The closure, which comes as part of the tech giant’s global strategic restructuring, has drawn concern from both former leadership and industry stakeholders, with many viewing it as a worrying indicator for Pakistan’s investment climate.
Microsoft closed its liaison office in Islamabad earlier this year. The move aligns with the company’s shift to a “partner-led” and “cloud-first” model globally, under which it increasingly manages operations through regional hubs and authorized partners rather than maintaining direct on-ground offices in smaller markets, reported livemint.
Microsoft clarified that the shutdown would not affect its services or support in Pakistan, which will now be routed through regional teams and certified local partners. Only five employees were impacted by the closure of the local office.
The decision has nonetheless sparked debate within Pakistan’s tech and political circles.
“This is more than just a corporate exit,” said Jawwad Rehman, the founding head of Microsoft Pakistan. Speaking to Livemint, he described the move as “the end of an era” and “a sobering signal”.
