KARACHI: Microsoft has decided to close its office in Pakistan and laid off five employees, Dawn has learnt.

Earlier, media reports suggested that the global tech giant had moved its operations out of the country.

These were based on a LinkedIn post by Jawad Rehman, the former head of Microsoft in Pakistan. Citing sources, he claimed the company “is officially closing its operations in Pakistan”.

Microsoft had an on-ground presence in Pakistan until recently, albeit with a significantly reduced local workforce. Most of its operations were handled from foreign offices and by partners in Pakistan, people familiar with the matter told Dawn.

In response to Dawn’s query, a Microsoft spokesperson said, “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 a number of other countries........

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