Google Playstore in Pakistan/Playstore Discontinue in Pakistan: There are rumors in Pakistan about Google Playstore to be stopped working after December 1st. However, We did research to fact-check and found this news false.
Google Playstore will be functioning and users will still be able to download/update apps without any hassle. This issue is being highlighted on different social media by different users that Google Playstore will discontinue in Pakistan after December 1st.
The only thing that will be changed is users in Pakistan will not be able to download premium/pro/paid apps in Pakistan from Google Playstore. According to The News, the State Bank of Pakistan has blocked payment of $34 million to overseas service providers, and after that users would be unable to get Google Play Store services beginning December 1, 2022.
The state bank of Pakistan suspended the direct carrier billing (DCB) process, resulting in a $34 million annual payment via cellular companies to overseas internet companies such as Google, Amazon, and Meta being blocked.
Meanwhile, Android phone users in Pakistan would be unable to intend to purchase applications through cell carrier billing since the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) suspended payment of $34 million to global internet businesses in order to curb the outflow of dollars.
According to reports, Android mobile users in Pakistan would be unable to access premium services through the Google Play Store after the SBP stopped transactions to overseas service providers totaling $34 million.
Furthermore, it is necessary to emphasize that Pakistani users may continue to download applications or utilize paid services exclusively using credit or debit cards.
IT Minister Amin-ul-Haq’s Response to Google Playstore in Pakistan Discontinuation
Closure of Google Application / Statement by Aminul Haq
Taking immediate notice of the matter, the Finance Minister should direct the State Bank to continue the payment. It is necessary to include the consultation of the Ministry in the decisions regarding IT-related work in the future.
IT Minister Amin-ul-Haq to Google Playstore in Pakistan Discontinuation on twitter
Users in Pakistan would now be required to download Google and perhaps other overseas applications in order to make purchases using credit or debit cards. Furthermore, because the credit card facility is limited to a set amount of users, the vast majority of smartphone users may be unable to purchase applications from the Google Play Store.
On Friday, the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), as well as 4 cellular mobile operators (CMOs) unequivocally decided to write a joint letter to the State Bank Of Pakistan requesting that, SBP should reverse its action to revoke the DCB system for billing of dollar fees, citing the country’s liquidity crisis.
Furthermore, they emphasized the issues and challenges that the telecom sector is already experiencing, which have been exacerbated by SBP’s payment restriction.
He also affirmed that free apps services on Google Play will remain accessible, saying that barring payments to foreign organizations will drag the country’s reputation into discredit, while Android users who install paid applications or use in-app paid services will experience major challenges as a result of this policy.