Google Play Store: Will no longer be available in Pakistan

Google Play Store services will no longer be available in Pakistan after Dec 1. Telecom ministry, PTA and cellular service operators approach SBP to seek revocation of measure.

Why Google Play Store Service Will Be Unavailable?

Google Play Store Service will unavailable in pakistan by the Dec 1, 2022 as State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has suspended the direct carrier billing (DCB) mechanism which is about $34 Million Dollars.

Fact check: Google is not suspending Play Store in Pakistan but users won’t be able to pay for apps using mobile balance. Alternatives to Direct Carrier Billing (DCB), including payment through debit and credit cards will continue to work

Mobile phone users would still be able to download apps from Google Play Store but would not be able to pay for them using their mobile balance after the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) reportedly suspended $34 million in payments to international service providers such as Google under the Direct Carrier Billing (DCB) service by telcos.

Local media outlets have been pushing headlines that Google would suspend all Play Store services on December 1, 2022 because of the SBP measure, which is not entirely true. Users would be able to download the apps but won’t be able to pay for them except through debit and credit cards.

The other alternative for such payments is Direct Carrier Billing (DCB), which involves payment using the mobile balance. DCB exists because of lack of international digital payment methods to pay for various apps.

“By linking direct carrier billing with Google Play store, freelancers are also able to pay for some tools and apps for doing their assignments,” Aslam Hayat, Senior Information and Communication Technology regulatory expert and former Chief Corporate Affairs and Strategy Officer at Telenor