National growth: NBP president emphasises role of financial ecosystems

KARACHI: Rehmat Ali Hasnie, President & CEO of National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), emphasised the crucial role of ecosystems and the financial and banking sector in driving national growth during the Pakistan Business Summit recently held in Peshawar.

The summit, themed “Shaping What’s Next,” was organized under the patronage of the Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and co-hosted by the Nutshell Group and Al Baraka Bank (Pakistan) Limited, with the Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI) serving as the Strategic Partner.

During the session titled “Dialogue on The Symphonies of Ecosystems”, Hasnie highlighted that NBP was the first institution in Pakistan to introduce renewable financing and reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to supporting sustainable energy and contributing to the country’s green transition. He noted that the bank’s profitability is closely linked to Pakistan’s development goals and the needs of its people. He added that reforms, along with efforts to build investor confidence, are essential to attract investments in challenging sectors.

“While the bank focuses on stable and impactful sectors rather than high-risk areas, building trust and investor confidence remains equally important for growth,” Hasnie said. He also stressed that empowering citizens through financial inclusion and broader access to finance turns them into active contributors to the economy, strengthening local communities and fueling sustainable development across the country. The session was moderated by Sajeed Aslam, Partner & Co-Founder of Spectreco LLC, USA. Panelists included Muhammad Nassir Salim, President & CEO of HBL; Jahangir Piracha, MD & CEO of Fauji Fertilizer Company Limited; Jahanzeb Khan, President & CEO of easypaisa Digital Bank; and Muhammad Ali Gulfaraz, CEO of Dubai Islamic Bank Pakistan Limited.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025