What Pakistan stands to gain if Google opens shop
Governments over the past years have attempted to have social media companies maintain an on-ground presence in Pakistan. They employed a carrot-and-stick approach — offering incentives of increased revenue and, when that failed, drafting legislation to force them into opening offices. Over the years, officials claimed multiple times that companies have agreed to establish their presence in Pakistan, but nothing substantial came out of it. Last month, it was reported that Google has decided to open a liaison or representative office in Pakistan. The move was unlike the past claims, as the California, US-based search engine giant also obtained a registration certificate from the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP).