Bank of Khyber Ranked Second in Asia-Pacific Banking Report
October 11, 2025
Pakistan’s access to formal financial services has grown from 47 percent in 2018 to 67 percent by June 2025, according to State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor Jameel Ahmad. The gender gap in access has also reduced from 47 percent to 30 percent, marking a steady improvement across the country.
Speaking at the ninth Annual Microfinance Conference in Karachi, Governor Ahmad credited the progress to initiatives such as Raast, Asaan Mobile Account (AMA), Roshan Digital Account (RDA), and the Banking on Equality Policy. These steps have helped make banking easier for people across Pakistan.
He reaffirmed the targets under the National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS) 2028, aiming to reach 75 percent access and narrow the gender gap to 25 percent by 2028.
He also noted that Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves are now nearly five times higher than in February 2023, due to strategic interbank purchases. Additionally, SBP has launched a Climate Risk Fund and a Risk Coverage Scheme to help farmers in underserved regions like Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan.
