Aik, Pakistan’s first dedicated Islamic digital banking platform powered by BankIslami, has taken a major step toward strengthening its digital infrastructure by partnering with Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL). The collaboration will leverage PTCL’s Smart Cloud services to provide secure, reliable, and scalable solutions, ensuring resilience and business continuity for Aik’s fast-growing platform.
The formal agreement was signed at Aik’s headquarters in Islamabad, attended by senior leadership from both organizations. Present at the ceremony were Ashfaque Ahmed, Chief Officer at Aik, Waqar Ul Hassan, CIO at Aik Digital, and Asif Ahmad, Group Chief Business Solutions Officer for PTCL and Ufone 4G. The event highlighted the shared commitment of both companies to expand Pakistan’s digital financial ecosystem with innovative and Shariah-compliant solutions.
Under the partnership, PTCL will deliver a cloud-based infrastructure designed to enhance Aik’s digital banking capabilities. With secure data handling, reliable uptime, and scalable solutions, the Smart Cloud integration will enable Aik to expand its services without compromising performance or security. This advancement is central to BankIslami’s broader digital-first initiative, aimed at making Islamic banking more accessible to customers nationwide.
Speaking at the ceremony, Ashfaque Ahmed, Chief Officer of Aik, underlined the platform’s mission of expanding financial access through Shariah-compliant services. “At Aik, we are driven by our purpose of expanding access to Islamic banking across the country and advancing our overarching mission of Saving Humanity from Riba. Achieving this requires systems and networks that are robust and scalable enough to meet the growing demand for Shariah-compliant banking,” he said. “This partnership brings us closer to our goal, making banking simpler for customers while contributing to broader economic upliftment.”
On behalf of PTCL, Asif Ahmad, Group Chief Business Solutions Officer, emphasized the telecom giant’s commitment to enabling digital transformation across sectors. “We are pleased to sign an agreement with Aik to support them in fulfilling their business needs. PTCL, being a national company, is leading digitalisation efforts across the country. Through such partnerships, PTCL continues to play its key role in the development of telecom infrastructure by providing innovative and secure solutions to the corporate sector that will further contribute towards the overall economic growth of the country.”
Industry analysts view this collaboration as a milestone for Pakistan’s digital banking landscape. Aik’s approach, combining Shariah-compliant banking with digital-first delivery, reflects rising demand for accessible and ethical financial services. Meanwhile, PTCL’s Smart Cloud infrastructure provides the security, reliability, and scalability that financial platforms require in an increasingly data-driven environment.
The partnership also underlines a growing trend of convergence between telecom operators and financial institutions in Pakistan. As digital banking services expand, reliable cloud infrastructure is emerging as a key enabler for innovation, resilience, and compliance with regulatory standards. By working together, Aik and PTCL aim to create a framework that not only strengthens banking services but also contributes to the broader national agenda of digital transformation.
With this agreement, Aik gains the technological foundation needed to serve a larger customer base, while PTCL reinforces its role as a trusted provider of enterprise solutions. For customers, the collaboration promises more efficient, secure, and seamless access to digital Islamic banking services, aligning with the vision of greater financial inclusion and digital adoption in Pakistan.
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