NextWallet partnered with Pakistan Fintech Forum IV as the official Fintech Media Partner, supporting one of Pakistan’s major industry gatherings focused on digital finance, financial inclusion and technology driven banking solutions. Organized by Pakistan Fintech Network, the fourth edition of the forum was held on September 2, 2026, at Marriott Hotel Karachi, bringing together regulators, banking executives, fintech innovators, technology providers and other industry stakeholders. Held under the theme “Building the Financial Future: Scale, Trust & Inclusion,” the forum examined developments shaping Pakistan’s digital financial ecosystem, with discussions covering digital banking, digital public infrastructure, credit accessibility, data driven financial services, digital payments and sustainable fintech solutions. Through its media partnership, NextWallet supported the wider fintech community by highlighting industry discussions around innovation, collaboration and the development of financial services for businesses and consumers.
A key focus of the event was the expansion of digital banking and the need to create stronger foundations for reaching Pakistan’s next 100 million users. During Panel 1, “Building Digital Banking for Pakistan’s Next 100 Million Users,” senior representatives discussed the infrastructure, products and collaboration required to expand access to digital financial services. Shariq Mubeen, Chief Digital Officer at Meezan Bank Limited, emphasized the importance of establishing strong foundations for broader financial access, saying, “We need to start with the basics, creating the right digital foundations and bringing funding providers into an ecosystem that can expand access to financial services.” Muhammad Imaduddin, Director of Digital Innovation and Settlements at State Bank of Pakistan, also highlighted the importance of collaboration and customer focused innovation, saying, “Innovation is not something we can build alone. We need collaboration, organised innovation and customer-centric design to create products that are truly built for Pakistan.” Adnan Nasir, Senior Executive Vice President at National Bank of Pakistan, further highlighted the role of digital identity and payments in moving traditionally cash based processes toward more accessible and efficient financial services. He said, “Digital identity and payments give us the opportunity to transform traditionally cash-based processes and make financial services more accessible, efficient and inclusive.”
Credit access was another major area of discussion at Pakistan Fintech Forum IV. Panel 2, “Unlocking Pakistan’s Untapped Credit Market,” examined how credit information, analytics, alternative financial models and technology can help expand responsible access to finance. Omar Khalid, Chief Operating Officer at TASDEEQ, said, “The opportunity is to play a greater role in the financial transaction journey. By making credit information and analytics more accessible, we can help lenders make better-informed decisions and expand access to credit.” The forum also addressed the development of sustainable digital payment businesses during Panel 3, where industry leaders discussed customer choice, trust, seamless payments and the use of data to create additional value. Mahwish Saad Khan, Chief Business Officer at PayFast, said, “It is not for businesses to decide how customers should pay; it is the customer who decides the payment method. For fintechs, building user trust and delivering speed are what truly matter.” Ziyad Parekh, Founder and CEO of Safepay, highlighted the importance of making payment infrastructure work smoothly across different channels, while Najeeb Agrawalla, CEO of 1LINK, emphasized simple, reliable and instant digital payments. Muhammad Ali Khan, Director of Digital Products at JazzCash, further pointed to the need for collaboration across the ecosystem, noting that Pakistan’s large digital user base needs innovative digital products to support continued fintech growth.
The forum also featured discussions around digital trust, identity and financial infrastructure, including a dedicated session on “Building Digital Trust: Identity, Infrastructure & Pakistan’s Financial Future.” Representatives from financial institutions, technology companies and digital identity stakeholders explored areas such as eKYC, biometric authentication and trusted infrastructure. The event featured participation from key regulatory and government institutions, including State Bank of Pakistan, Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, Pakistan Digital Authority, Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority and Raast. Senior figures including PFN Chairman Syed Nadeem Hussain, PFN CEO Fahad Sajid, ABHI Microfinance Bank CEO Kabeer Naqvi, SBP Deputy Governor Muhammad Ali Malik, SECP Commissioner Imtiaz Haider, Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority Chairman Bilal Bin Saqib, Raast CEO Ahson Bin Saeed and Pakistan Digital Authority Chairperson Dr. Sohail Munir were among the representatives associated with the event. More than 400 senior executives and sector representatives participated, reflecting the growing interest in digital transformation across Pakistan’s financial industry. The event was supported by a broad network of industry partners, including ABHI Microfinance Bank as Title Sponsor, QSPL as Platinum Sponsor, Euronet as Digital Transformation Partner, Swich as Financial Inclusion Partner and Finshape as Gold Sponsor, alongside other financial institutions, fintech companies and technology organizations.
ABHI Microfinance Bank also featured prominently in the forum’s discussions around fintech growth and expansion. During the Industry Dialogue, “From Fintech to Public Markets: The IPO Journey, Lessons & The Road Ahead,” Sultan Zaidi, Chief Marketing Officer at ABHI Microfinance Bank, shared his perspective on the company’s growth and the role of credibility in expanding into new markets. He said, “The plan is not to exit; the plan is to grow, expand and take the digital landscape forward. The credibility we have built over time gives us the foundation to take that growth to new markets.” His comments reflected the wider discussion around building sustainable fintech businesses, stronger governance and long term growth within Pakistan’s financial sector. As Fintech Media Partner, NextWallet continues to support industry conversations around digital payments, financial technology, innovation and financial inclusion, helping bring greater visibility to developments shaping Pakistan’s expanding digital finance ecosystem.
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