Meezan Bank Triumphs at 10th Pakistan Banking Awards 2025

By: Aziz Khatri

  Karachi:  The 10th edition of the Pakistan Banking Awards took place yesterday at Karachi’s Pearl Continental Hotel, celebrating outstanding achievements in the country’s banking sector. The event marked a decade of recognizing excellence, innovation, and integrity within Pakistan’s financial industry.

State Bank of Pakistan Governor, Mr. Jameel Ahmad, attended the ceremony as the Chief Guest and presented the top honor, the Best Bank Award, to Meezan Bank Limited for their exemplary performance and dedication to banking excellence.

Addressing the audience, Governor Ahmad highlighted the critical role of these awards in elevating banking standards nationwide. He outlined a visionary blueprint aimed at transforming Pakistan’s banking landscape over the coming decade, emphasizing innovation, inclusion, and responsibility.

“The future of Pakistan’s banking depends on shifting focus towards serving the private sector, especially SMEs and small depositors,” he stated. He cautioned that banks relying heavily on government lending might lose competitiveness to those mobilizing deposits and extending credit to underserved markets.

To drive this transformation, Governor Ahmad stressed four priority areas for banks: embedding digitalization across customer experiences and operations; deploying artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve risk assessment and develop tailored products for startups and small enterprises; incorporating climate risk in credit decisions alongside promoting green financing such as sustainability-linked loans; and strategically supporting Pakistan’s exporters through realigned business models.

The event was hosted by the National Institute of Banking and Finance (NIBAF) in partnership with DAWN Media and A.F. Ferguson & Co., with Governor Ahmad commending their decade-long commitment to fostering excellence in banking.

In addition to Meezan Bank’s top award, highlights include:

- Best Bank for Women's Inclusion: The Bank of Punjab  

- Best Microfinance Institution: Kashf Foundation  

- Best Bank for SMEs: The Bank of Punjab  

- Best Bank for Agriculture Inclusion: The Bank of Punjab  

- Best Bank for Digital Excellence: Bank Alfalah  

- Best Bank for Customer Engagement: Bank Alfalah  

- Best Mid-sized Bank: Faysal Bank Limited  

- Best Bank for ESG: Habib Bank Limited  

These awards underscore the dynamic advancements and competitive spirit within Pakistan’s banking sector as it evolves to meet the demands of a rapidly changing economy.