Summary The government has dropped its request for user data.
(Web Desk / Reuters) - BlackBerry Ltd said it has decided to continue its operations in Pakistan as the government dropped a request for access to users data.
"After productive discussions, the Government of Pakistan has rescinded its shutdown order, and BlackBerry has decided to remain in the Pakistan market," BlackBerry chief operating officer Marty Beard said in a statement.
The company, which has faced similar problems in the past in India, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia, had said last month it would delay shutting down its operations in Pakistan until Dec. 30.
READ: BlackBerry to exit Pakistan, rejects govt‘s data requests
State-run Pakistan Telecommunication Authority had in July demanded that the company give access to its BlackBerry Enterprise Services (BES), which encrypts data such as emails and instant messages.
"We are grateful to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and the Pakistani government for accepting BlackBerry‘s position that we cannot provide the content of our customers‘ BES traffic, nor will we provide access to our BES servers," Beard said.
"We look forward to serving the Pakistani market for years to come, including introducing new products and services, and thank our valued customers in Pakistan for their patience and loyalty," he added.
BlackBerry, formerly known as Research In Motion Ltd, said on Thursday it would not provide access to its BES servers.
A report released in July by British-based watchdog Privacy International said Pakistan‘s military intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), was seeking to dramatically expand its ability to intercept communications.
Shares of the company were down 0.46 percent at C$12.91 on Thursday on the Toronto Stock Exchange.
