Uber discontinues services in five Pakistani cities, only to operate in Lahore

• Uber will no longer be available in Karachi, Multan, Faisalabad, Peshawar and Islamabad.
• Uber says it "remains committed to Pakistan" and will continue to serve five cities with Careem.
• Ride-hailing app directs riders and drivers to use Careem.

Ride-hailing app Uber announced on Tuesday that it will only be operating in Lahore and will no longer be available in Karachi, Multan, Faisalabad, Peshawar and Islamabad.

“We’ve made the decision to cease operating the Uber app in Karachi, Multan, Faisalabad, Peshawar and Islamabad. Uber remains committed to Pakistan – we will continue to serve these five cities with our subsidiary brand Careem and continue to operate the Uber app in Lahore,” said the ride-hailing service in a statement.

The ride-hailing app directed its riders and drivers to use Careem, the app they acquired in 2019, in the five cities where they are no longer offering their services.

Global ride-hailing service Uber had acquire its then Middle East rival Careem for $3.1 billion in March 2019.

"Careem and Uber are joining forces. We have reached an agreement in which Uber will acquire Careem for $3.1 billion," a joint statement had said.

Under the deal, Careem became a wholly owned subsidiary of Uber but continues to operate independently with its own branding, services and separate app.

In its statement, Careem said that it will continue to serve customers across 10 operational cities — including the cities where Uber has discontinued its service.

"We are investing in growing our operations and providing our customers with safer, more reliable, and affordable mobility solutions," the company said.

"Careem continues to serve customers in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Multan, Faisalabad and Peshawar, confidently, in addition to 5 other cities where we operate."