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Procter & Gamble Co. said it will discontinue its business in Pakistan, months after the company announced a global restructuring program.
The maker of Tide detergent and other household items will wind down manufacturing and commercial activities of P&G Pakistan, as well as its razors division Gillette Pakistan Ltd., the Cincinnati-based company said in a statement. It will continue to serve consumers from other operations in the region, it said.
P&G had in June announced it would pare its portfolio of brands and slash as many as 7,000 jobs over two years as part of an operations overhaul. The company also lowered its guidance to reflect the impact of trade tariffs and worsening consumption trends.
The decision also makes P&G the latest multinational to scale back from Pakistan, amid wider business and economic challenges including profit-repatriation curbs and weak demand. Gillette Pakistan’s revenue almost halved in the fiscal year ended June 2025 after reaching a record three billion rupees two years ago.
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Shell Plc, Pfizer Inc., TotalEnergies SE and Telenor ASA have all pulled back from Pakistan in recent years, selling stakes or operations as multinationals retreat despite its status as the world’s fifth-most populous nation. P&G sold its soap manufacturing facility in Pakistan to Nimir Industrial Chemical Ltd. last year.
Household Name
P&G entered Pakistan in 1991 and grew into one of the country’s top consumer-goods firms, with brands such as Pampers, Safeguard, Ariel, Head & Shoulders, and Pantene becoming household names. It expanded its local footprint with a soap plant acquisition in 1994 and a detergent facility in 2010.
“The company has decided a third-party distribution model is the most prudent way to continue to serve consumers in Pakistan at this time,” the company said in a statement. It said employees will be considered for overseas placements or separation packages.
Gillette Pakistan’s board will meet to consider steps for discontinuation, including a possible delisting. Its shares jumped by the 10 percent daily limit, hitting a three-week high.
“I hope such exits make the rulers aware that all is not well,” said Saad Amanullah Khan, a former chief executive officer at Gillette Pakistan, citing high power costs, weak infrastructure and regulatory pressures. He said he hoped for better conditions so “we stop hearing of multinational exits.”
By Faseeh Mangi and Kamran Haider.
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