KARACHI- February 10, 2026 — IFC announced a new risk-sharing facility with Habib Metropolitan Bank Limited (HABIBMETRO) to expand access to finance for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across Pakistan, including agricultural SMEs, and address the country’s SME financing gap. SMEs account for 90% of businesses in Pakistan and contribute 40% of GDP, yet fewer […]
ABHI Microfinance Bank Ltd. (Abhi MFB) has entered into a strategic partnership with 1LINK to roll out 1GO Raast Person-to-Merchant (P2M) services, enabling merchants nationwide to accept instant digital payments through Raast using QR technology. The agreement was formalized at a signing ceremony where Mariam Pervaiz, Chief Commercial Officer – Abhi Microfinance Bank, and Najeeb […]
Pakistan is set to be among the most heavily weighted countries in a proposed new JPMorgan index tracking frontier-market local-currency bonds, as the global bank moves closer to launching a benchmark aimed at higher-yielding emerging economies. According to investors consulted by Reuters, the proposed index will include local-currency bonds from around 20 to 25 frontier […]
In a vibrant display of innovation and ambition, Lahore witnessed the grand inauguration of Fintech Edge Institute on January 31, 2026, marking a significant milestone in Pakistan’s burgeoning fintech ecosystem. Spearheaded by Mr. Nazish Ali, Chairman of the Board and President & CEO of Apna Microfinance Bank Limited, the event drew over 200 industry leaders, […]
KARACHI: ABHI Microfinance Bank has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with DigiKhata, a leading digital ledger platform used by small and medium enterprises (SMEs), to enable structured financing solutions for businesses operating on DigiKhata’s platform. The partnership is designed to connect digitally active SMEs with formal financial services, allowing eligible merchants and businesses on […]
Islamabad, Pakistan — January 27, 2026:The Government of Pakistan has appointed Ali Farid Khwaja as a Commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), signaling a move toward strengthening regulatory oversight with global expertise and digital-first thinking. According to a notification issued by the Finance Division on January 27, 2026, Khwaja has been […]
As a joint initiative of the Pakistan Banks Association (PBA) and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), Pakistan’s banking sector concluded its first-ever Industry-wide Cyber Drill, a week-long exercise held from 12 to 19 January 2026 in Karachi and Lahore, with a closing ceremony in Karachi. Governor SBP, Mr Jameel Ahmad, who graced the occasion […]
aik by BankIslami has launched aikPay – Pakistan’s first Shariah compliant Raast enabled QR Payment Gateway. Built on the State Bank of Pakistan’s Raast infrastructure, aikPay enables real time online payments through dynamic QR codes, allowing customers to pay instantly from their bank accounts and enabling merchants to receive payments securely through a smooth checkout […]
Raqami Islamic Digital Bank (RIDB), backed by the Kuwait Investment Authority, plans to invest $100 million over the next five years as it prepares to launch commercial operations in February, marking Pakistan’s first fully Shariah-compliant digital retail bank, Bloomberg reported. The Karachi-based lender has completed its pilot phase and is targeting at least one million customers within […]
The Universal Service Fund (USF) and Jazz officially signed contracts on Wednesday for four landmark Next Generation-Broadband for Sustainable Development (NGBSD) projects. The ceremony was held at the USF Head Office. IT Minister Shaza Fatima attended the event as chief guest. The agreements were formally signed by Chaudhry Mudassar Naveed, CEO of USF, and Aamir […]