BankIslami has reinforced its commitment to advancing Islamic banking in Pakistan with a significant upgrade to its digital platform, ‘aik’, the country’s first dedicated digital Islamic banking application offering entirely Riba-free solutions. The enhancement marks a strategic milestone in the bank’s efforts to modernize Shariah-compliant financial services while supporting Pakistan’s transition toward a cashless, digitally empowered economy.
The upgraded aik platform introduces a more intuitive interface, improved system performance, and expanded functional capabilities, all designed to elevate the overall user journey. The goal is to align digital convenience with Islamic financial principles, ensuring accessibility, speed, and seamless navigation for customers across diverse demographics. BankIslami notes that the platform’s refinements are core to its mission of enabling secure, inclusive, and ethically aligned financial services nationwide.
One of the major advancements within the refreshed platform is the ability for customers to instantly open both current and Bachat (saving) accounts directly from their smartphones. The instant onboarding feature is expected to accelerate financial inclusion by removing traditional onboarding hurdles and empowering users in remote or underserved areas to gain access to formal Islamic banking services with minimal friction.
Supporting national digitalization priorities, the aik mobile application now integrates Raast QR payments, offering a secure and Shariah-compliant digital payment mechanism particularly beneficial for micro and small merchants. This integration directly aligns with the State Bank of Pakistan and the Government of Pakistan’s ongoing “Go Cashless” strategy, which aims to broaden digital payments adoption and reduce cash dependency across the economy. For SMEs, the addition represents an opportunity to modernize transactions while adhering to Islamic financial guidelines.
In addition to financial services, BankIslami is positioning aik as an all-in-one Islamic lifestyle companion. The newly introduced aik Deen module features Azaan alerts, a digital Quran, a Hijri calendar, a Qibla compass, curated Hadith and Ayat reminders, and live streaming from Makkah and Madinah. This shift signals a broader platform philosophy focused on merging religious enrichment with contemporary digital utilities.
The application’s new lifestyle-focused updates are complemented by modern conveniences including bill splitting, digital gifting features, referral rewards, and invite-and-earn programs. These additions reflect BankIslami’s effort to merge ease-of-use with Riba-free financial activity, making everyday banking interactions both accessible and rewarding.
Ashfaque Ahmed, Chief Officer of aik, stated that the upgrade redefines the app’s value proposition by positioning it as more than a transactional tool. He emphasized the bank’s commitment to purposeful innovation during a time of rapid digital adoption. According to Ahmed, aik’s evolution into a lifestyle-centric platform reflects growing customer demand for holistic, Shariah-aligned digital experiences.
Rizwan Ata, President and CEO of BankIslami, reiterated the organization’s mission of promoting a Riba-free society, stressing that digital channels play a pivotal role in expanding trust and adoption of Islamic finance. He noted that the strengthened aik platform represents a significant step in making Shariah-compliant banking effortless and universally accessible.
With the upgraded aik platform, BankIslami continues to advance its vision of combining technology with Islamic values to deliver modern, relevant, and ethically guided banking solutions for current and future generations.
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