State Bank issues Clarification on Holding Payments to Google, Calls Media Reports Misleading

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has dismissed media reports of withholding certain payments to Google as “baseless and misleading”.

The central bank’s response comes after reports surfaced that Google Play Store services will be unavailable to Pakistani users from December 1.

SBP blocked $34 million in payments to international service providers by suspending the mechanism for direct billing via the mobile network operator (DCB).

Later, Minister of Information Technology and Telecommunications Syed Aminul Haque clarified that the free Google Play Store services will continue to be available to Pakistani users.

In an official statement, the SBP firmly denied all of these claims and also stated that it had taken some steps to facilitate domestic units.

These services include satellite transponders, international bandwidth/Internet/private line services, software licensing/maintenance/support, and electronic media and database usage services