NIBAF Pakistan conducted a high-level technical session on “Treasury Management of Commercial Banks” for officers participating in the State Bank Officers Training Scheme (SBOTS-28). The session was held on September 15, 2026, at the NIBAF Pakistan Islamabad Campus and provided trainee officers with a practitioner-led understanding of treasury functions within commercial banks. The module focused on key areas of banking operations, including money market activities, foreign exchange desk workflows, portfolio yield optimisation and balance sheet management.
The session was facilitated by Wajahat Qureshi, Treasurer at the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), who brought commercial banking experience to the training programme. His role as a treasury professional provided the SBOTS-28 officers with exposure to the practical aspects of managing financial resources and market activities within a commercial banking environment. The session was structured to connect the officers’ training with operational practices followed by banking institutions in financial markets.
A significant component of the session focused on money market operations, an important area of treasury management for commercial banks. Treasury functions require banks to monitor market conditions, manage liquidity and make decisions involving short-term financial instruments. By introducing trainee officers to these operational considerations, the session provided them with a practical perspective on how commercial banks manage their treasury activities and respond to changing conditions in financial markets.
The training also covered foreign exchange desk workflows, giving participants an understanding of the processes involved in managing foreign currency-related activities within commercial banking operations. Foreign exchange functions form an important part of treasury departments, requiring financial institutions to monitor currency markets and manage related positions and transactions. The practitioner-led approach allowed participants to examine these activities from the perspective of professionals working directly within the banking industry.
Portfolio yield optimisation was another area discussed during the session. Treasury departments manage investment portfolios while considering returns, liquidity requirements and broader balance sheet considerations. The session introduced officers to the practical issues involved in managing portfolio performance within a commercial banking framework, helping them understand how treasury decisions can interact with a bank’s overall financial position.
Balance sheet management was also included in the technical module, highlighting the relationship between treasury operations and the wider financial structure of a commercial bank. Effective treasury management involves monitoring assets and liabilities while managing liquidity, market exposures and financial returns. Exposure to these areas is particularly relevant for officers preparing for roles within the central banking environment, where understanding commercial bank operations can contribute to broader market and regulatory awareness.
The training formed part of NIBAF Pakistan’s continuing efforts to provide SBOTS-28 officers with exposure to specialised banking functions and industry practices. By bringing an experienced commercial banking treasury professional into the programme, NIBAF Pakistan connected trainee officers with practical perspectives from the banking sector. The approach gives participants an opportunity to complement formal training with insights into how treasury functions operate within financial institutions.
The September 15 session also supports the broader objective of developing market awareness among future central bankers. Understanding commercial bank treasury operations can provide useful context for officers who may later be involved in financial-market oversight, banking regulation and other central banking responsibilities. Through modules such as Treasury Management of Commercial Banks, NIBAF Pakistan is incorporating industry experience into the development of professional and regulatory capabilities among SBOTS-28 trainees.
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