Recent buzz surrounding the potential arrival of an Apple retail store in Pakistan has been tempered by clarifications from industry experts and a lack of confirmation from Apple Inc. itself. What was initially reported as “Pakistan’s first-ever official Apple retail store” by local assembler Air Link Communication Limited is, upon closer examination, an expansion of authorized reseller operations rather than a direct entry by the tech giant.
The rumor ignited on October 24, 2025, during Air Link’s corporate briefing with Topline Securities, where the company announced plans to open a retail outlet selling Apple products at Dolmen Mall in Lahore by the end of the year. Media outlets quickly amplified the news, framing it as a milestone for premium tech retail in the country. Social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook further fueled the hype, with posts from various accounts celebrating the development as a sign of growing international investment.
Air Link, a prominent smartphone distributor and assembler in Pakistan, positioned the store as a dedicated space for Apple products, alongside a Xiaomi outlet. This follows their September 2024 appointment as a premium retail partner by GNEXT Technologies, Apple’s authorized distributor in Pakistan, allowing them to sell genuine Apple devices through structured channels.
Despite the enthusiastic headlines, Apple has issued no official statement or announcement regarding direct retail operations in Pakistan. A review of Apple’s global retail presence confirms that Pakistan is not among the countries with an official Apple Store. Apple’s own store locator and retail listings do not include Pakistan, focusing instead on established markets like the United States, China, India, and the UAE. There are no publicized plans for new stores in South Asia beyond existing expansions, such as those in India.
Official Apple Stores are company-owned and operated, featuring Apple’s signature design, Genius Bar support, and direct oversight on staffing, pricing, and warranties. In contrast, Air Link’s planned outlet falls under the category of an Apple Premium Reseller or authorized dealer, which operates independently while adhering to certain brand guidelines.
The tech community in Pakistan has been quick to push back against the misleading narrative.
On forums and social media, particularly in the Reddit thread on r/PakistaniTech[1] titled “Chat is this true?”, users have highlighted the difference between a reseller and an official store. The top most comment read:
It is not, I don’t know why our Journalism is so performative. Airlink is the official iphone retailer for Pakistan, the shop opening will be an Airlink shop not an Apple one and inside the shop will be products like Samsung, Vivo, Apple etc.
Another user, AliAckermann, added:
Apple is not officially coming to Pakistan but Airlink can get only Premium Reseller concept. If Apple wanted to open a store in Pakistan, it would be news world wide! Plus Apple does not open store in a span of 2-3weeks! They take 9months to 1 year to complete a store as they dont compromise on Store security.
Other users continued:
When a company offers the phone officially all taxes are prepaid and the price of the phone remains kind of similar accross the globe. So if an official apple store actually opens the phones will become extremely cheap.
nah its gonna be operated by airlink and would be inside dolmen mall, aint gonna be like a full fledge apple store like in europe and US. we dont even have basic apple services why would we get an apple first lol.
For Pakistani Apple enthusiasts, the Air Link store could still bring benefits, including improved availability of authentic products, official warranties, and potentially better after-sales service compared to the prevalent grey-market imports. However, pricing is expected to remain premium, influenced by local taxes and Apple’s global standards.
As of now, without any endorsement from Cupertino, the dream of an official Apple Retail Store in Pakistan remains just that: a rumor. Consumers are advised to rely on verified channels for purchases and await any potential future announcements directly from Apple.
References
- ^ r/PakistaniTech (www.reddit.com)