Latest news with #JawadRehman
Khaleej Times
05-07-2025
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Pakistan: Microsoft shuts down office after 25 years
Microsoft has officially shut down its office in Pakistan and laid off five employees, marking a significant development in the country's tech sector, as reported by Dawn. The move, which sparked speculation on social media, was first brought to public attention by a LinkedIn post from Jawad Rehman, the former head of Microsoft Pakistan. Citing insider information, he claimed the tech giant had "officially closed its operations" in the country. While Microsoft maintained a small on-ground presence in Pakistan until recently, most of its operations were already being managed by foreign offices and local partners, according to Dawn. . Responding to Dawn 's queries, a Microsoft spokesperson confirmed the closure, stating, "We will serve our customers through both our strong and extensive partner organisation, and other closely located Microsoft offices. We follow this model successfully in several other countries around the world." According to Dawn, the decision is part of Microsoft's global restructuring efforts and broader transition towards artificial intelligence (AI) and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) business models. Just this week, Microsoft announced a four per cent reduction in its global workforce, amounting to nearly 9,000 job cuts out of 2,28,000 total employees, following earlier layoffs in May. The Ministry of IT and Telecommunications, in a statement cited by Dawn, clarified that this should not be seen as Microsoft "exiting" Pakistan, but rather a shift to a cloud-based, partner-led model consistent with evolving industry standards. Technology expert Habibullah Khan explained to Dawn that as companies move from on-premise to SaaS models, physical presence in local markets becomes less necessary. He added that Microsoft's closure in Pakistan is aligned with this shift and is part of a global trend, not a commentary on Pakistan's tech landscape. Dawn also noted that other multinationals, such as Careem, have recently announced scaling back or ceasing operations in Pakistan, though Khan emphasised Microsoft's move is more about cost-efficiency and strategy, not instability.
India.com
05-07-2025
- Business
- India.com
THIS company shows Shehbaz Sharif his place, takes a big step to collapse Pakistan's economy
THIS company shows Shehbaz Sharif his place, takes a big step to collapse Pakistan's economy Pakistan's reputation is continuously declining and seeing the environment in Pakistan, foreign companies have also started withdrawing from Pakistan. Recently, after 25 years, a foreign giant company has taken a step which Pakistan was not expecting at all. After this step, Pakistan is being embarrassed all over the world. In fact, the giant company has completely closed its office in Pakistan. Which is a very bad sign for Pakistan's economy. Let us also tell you which giant company has completely withdrawn its hands from Pakistan. Microsoft exits from Pakistan The world's leading tech company Microsoft announced the closure of its limited operations in Pakistan as part of its global strategy to reduce the workforce. On Friday, various parties called it a worrying sign for the country's economy. Microsoft cited global restructuring and a shift to a cloud-based, partner-led model while closing its office in Pakistan after 25 years. The move comes at a time when Microsoft has cut about 9,100 jobs (about four percent of the workforce) worldwide in its largest layoff round since 2023. Why did Microsoft exit? Former Microsoft Pakistan founder Jawad Rehman urged the government and the Information Technology (IT) minister to engage with tech giants with a bold KPI (key performance indicator) driven plan. He said the company's exit from the country reflects the current business environment. Rehman wrote on LinkedIn, a social media platform for professionals, that even global giants like Microsoft find it unbalanced to remain. Matter of concern for the economy Former Pakistan President Arif Alvi also expressed concern over Microsoft shutting down operations in a post on social media platform X. He wrote that this is a worrying sign for our economic future. Alvi claimed that Microsoft had once considered Pakistan for expansion, but due to that instability the company chose Vietnam by the end of 2022. He wrote that the opportunity was lost. Jawad explained that Microsoft does not operate a full commercial base in Pakistan, but instead relies on liaison offices focused on enterprise, education and government customers. In recent years, much of that work has already been delegated to local partners, while licenses and contracts are managed from its European center in Ireland.
