Uber – one of the major ride-hailing apps – has decided to cease its operations in Karachi, Multan, Faisalabad, Peshawar, and Islamabad and limiting it to Lahore.

“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,” it said in a statement issued on Tuesday.

It added that riders and driver partners may use the Careem app in the above-mentioned five cities.

The San Fransico-based company would continue to be available in Lahore with new product launches to support earners during these difficult times.

“We will communicate with riders and driver partners who use the Uber app in Karachi, Multan, Faisalabad, Peshawar and Islamabad about how they can use the Careem app in their city,” it said.

“When we acquired Careem, it was always our belief that the two companies could come together to complement each other’s strengths and better serve the region through tailored experiences,” it said. “we know this is a difficult time for the teams who have worked incredibly hard to build this business over the past few years.”

Uber app appreciated the contributions made for the app. “Our priority is to minimize the impact to our employees, drivers, riders, and Hero partners who use the Uber app during this change in Karachi, Islamabad, Faisalabad, Multan and Peshawar.”