Islamabad, July 4 -- Global tech major Microsoft has decided to shut down its operations in Pakistan after a 25-year presence in the country.

The move comes as part of a wider global restructuring that includes laying off around 9,000 employees-roughly 4% of its global workforce.

The layoffs, confirmed on July 2, are the third round of job cuts at Microsoft this year. The company had earlier announced 6,000 layoffs in May and over 300 more shortly after.

The restructuring is part of Microsoft's ongoing strategy to reallocate resources as it ramps up investments in artificial intelligence. Teams across various verticals, including sales and Xbox, are among those impacted.

Alvi links Microsoft exit to lost investment opportunity

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