InvestPak launched: All citizens get direct access to govt securities: Aurangzeb

KARACHI: The federal government plans to gradually reduce its reliance on commercial banks for financing by expanding access to government securities for non-bank financial institutions through digital investment platforms, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said on Monday.

He was addressing the launching ceremony of InvestPak, a dedicated web portal and mobile application ecosystem designed to fully digitise the process of investing in Government of Pakistan securities for retail and corporate customers.

Finance Minister also called on non-bank financial institutions to seize the opportunity to invest in government papers and support a more diversified borrowing strategy.

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The launching ceremony, held at the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Karachi, which was hosted by Governor SBP Jameel Ahmad and graced by the Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, as Chief Guest.

The event brought together senior SBP leadership, presidents of banks, heads of corporate, insurance companies, mutual funds, and representatives of the banking and financial industry.

Speaking at the occasion, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb lauded SBP’s proactive role in leveraging technology to advance the Prime Minister’s vision of a digitally enabled and financially inclusive economy.

“InvestPak represents a decisive step toward democratising investment in Pakistan by giving ordinary citizens especially youth, corporate, and institutions direct digital access to safe sovereign investment opportunities. This is about making participation in the formal financial sector simpler, more inclusive, and more accessible for every segment of society,” he added.

While referring its impact on private sector lending, he shared that “As the investor base expands, banks will have greater space to focus on their core responsibility of lending to the private sector and supporting productive economic activity.”

The finance minister also felicitated the central bank governor and his team on the launch of InvestPak, terming it as another important milestone in journey of digitisation of the economy after the introduction of Raast payment system that has become a very important and critical pillar of country’s digital journey.

Highlighting technology and diversification as the key aspects of the initiative, Muhammad Aurangzeb said that technology not only makes the investment process faster, cheaper and better but it also democratizes and diversifies the investment.

“The more we go on this type of digital journey, the more youth we can bring in and have them as investors in government paper,” he said, stating that InvestPak will take us forward in that direction by opening new digitally enabled avenues.

He underscored the significance of diversifying government sector borrowing and decreasing reliance on banking sector and urged the non-bank financial institutions to step forward and avail the opportunity of investing in government papers.

The share of NBFI’s investment in government securities has surged to 22 percent from a single digit but still a long way to go for NBFIs, Aurangzeb said and added that this diversification will enhance the banking sector’s capacity towards private sector lending.

In his welcoming address, Governor SBP Jameel Ahmad said that InvestPak marks “a defining milestone in the evolution of Pakistan’s financial landscape,” adding that the platform reflects SBP’s commitment to promoting inclusive, sustainable, and digital access to financial services under its Strategic Vision 2028. The Governor described InvestPak as “not just a technology platform, but the realisation of a long-held vision” to build an inclusive, deep, and efficient government securities market. He said the launch of InvestPak would usher in “a new era of digital access and empowerment for investors across Pakistan.”

Referring to the nationwide media campaign, the Governor noted that “technology alone does not change behavior; awareness does.” He said SBP intends to make sovereign investments “a household conversation” through coordinated outreach across print, social media, and FM radio.

The Governor reaffirmed that the SBP would remain steadfast in its commitment to enhancing market efficiency through automation, transparency, and the adoption of international best practices. He urged all stakeholders to embrace InvestPak as a shared national initiative, stating that the platform represents “a new chapter” in building a more inclusive and prosperous economic future for Pakistan.

The platform is expected to benefit individual and women investors, small savers, corporate, and other market participants by reducing paperwork, improving transparency, and enabling convenient access to government securities from homes and offices.

It also provides a unified interface to manage multiple PKR and IPS accounts across participating financial institutions, improving convenience and portfolio visibility. To support public adoption and address user queries, a dedicated InvestPak call center has been established, along with online support systems built into the web portal and mobile applications.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026