Soneri Bank Limited has entered a strategic partnership with Visa, the global digital payments leader, to reinforce Pakistan’s rapidly evolving digital payments ecosystem and accelerate nationwide financial inclusion. The collaboration reflects a shared commitment to building a more resilient, accessible, and technologically advanced payments environment—one capable of supporting the country’s growing digital economy and rising consumer demand for frictionless payment options.
The formal signing event brought together senior executives from both organizations. Representing Soneri Bank were Muhtashim Ashai, Chief Executive Officer; Ahsan Mushahid, Deputy Chief Executive Officer; and Syed Amir Raza, Chief Digital and Information Officer. Visa’s leadership was represented by Leila Serhan, Senior Vice President and Group Country Manager for North Africa, Levant and Pakistan; Umar Khan, Country Manager for Pakistan and Afghanistan; and Gulraiz Khan, Director of Business Development. The presence of key decision-makers from both sides signaled the importance of this alliance in shaping the direction of Pakistan’s payment modernization efforts.
The partnership centers on leveraging Visa’s global network capabilities and Soneri Bank’s growing digital footprint to enhance availability, adoption, and reliability of digital payment services. By combining their strengths, the organizations aim to improve the accessibility of secure electronic payment options across consumer segments, merchant networks, and underbanked communities. As Pakistan continues to shift from cash-driven transactions to electronic payments, collaborations of this nature are instrumental in extending digital rails deeper into the financial system.
According to both institutions, the collaboration is positioned to enable broader deployment of innovative payment solutions tailored to the local market. This includes expanding card issuance capabilities, strengthening merchant acceptance infrastructure, improving transaction security protocols, and supporting future rollout of digital-first financial products. Visa’s technical expertise in global payment standards and security, coupled with Soneri Bank’s domestic network, will play a central role in creating an ecosystem where digital transactions become more reliable, seamless, and widely adopted.
Executives emphasized that the agreement aligns with Soneri Bank’s ongoing digital transformation agenda. The bank has increasingly focused on integrating digital tools, automating processes, and enhancing customer engagement platforms to meet evolving consumer expectations. Partnering with a global player like Visa further accelerates this trajectory, allowing Soneri Bank to deliver more competitive offerings and improve the overall customer experience across retail and corporate segments.
Visa’s regional leadership expressed confidence in Pakistan’s potential as a growing digital payments market, pointing to the strong uptake of mobile wallets, contactless cards, and electronic commerce. The company noted that expanding partnerships with domestic financial institutions is essential to scaling digital payment acceptance, improving transaction visibility, and enabling safer financial interactions for individuals and businesses alike.
The alliance also supports national priorities related to digital financial inclusion, where improving access to secure and user-friendly payment services remains a core objective. Through this collaboration, both organizations aim to drive measurable progress in increasing digital penetration, promoting transparent transactions, and reducing reliance on cash-based systems.
By joining forces, Soneri Bank and Visa have positioned themselves to contribute meaningfully to Pakistan’s digital financial evolution. As the demand for efficient, technology-driven financial services continues to rise, the initiatives emerging from this partnership are expected to catalyze growth in digital adoption and elevate the country’s payment ecosystem to international standards.
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