National Institute of Banking and Finance (NIBAF) Pakistan held a forward-looking evening session at its Islamabad campus under the State Bank Officers Training Scheme (SBOTS-27), spotlighting the rapid evolution and future trajectory of digital banking in Pakistan.
The event featured Mr. Farhan Hassan, Chief Digital Officer at Easypaisa Digital Bank, as the guest speaker. A prominent figure in the digital finance space, Mr. Hassan engaged with trainee officers of the State Bank of Pakistan, offering a deep dive into the shifting dynamics, innovation trends, and policy enablers shaping the digital banking ecosystem across the country.
As part of its commitment to equipping future central bankers with practical knowledge and market foresight, NIBAF continues to host such interactive learning sessions, especially at a time when the banking sector is undergoing substantial digital reform. The presence of a leading fintech executive added valuable context to the evening’s discussion, bringing real-world perspectives to classroom-based learning.
During his address, Mr. Hassan shed light on the foundational elements of Pakistan’s digital banking model, the regulatory landscape supporting it, and the customer-centric innovations that are redefining banking accessibility and convenience. Drawing from Easypaisa’s journey, he outlined how mobile-first platforms, cloud-native infrastructure, and agile product design are enabling new forms of financial inclusion, particularly in underserved regions.
He emphasized that digital banks are not merely digital extensions of traditional institutions but fundamentally different in how they engage users, use data, and deliver financial services. This distinction, he noted, positions digital banks to address longstanding gaps in financial outreach and to serve a younger, tech-native population.
Participants from SBOTS-27 were particularly engaged during the Q&A segment, where discussions touched on regulatory challenges, digital identity frameworks, embedded finance, and the future role of artificial intelligence in banking operations. Mr. Hassan encouraged trainees to think beyond legacy systems and consider the regulatory innovations needed to foster responsible yet agile growth in the digital financial sector.
The session concluded with a strong sense of optimism about the role of digital banking in transforming Pakistan’s financial landscape. Trainees expressed appreciation for the opportunity to learn directly from an industry leader navigating the forefront of digital innovation.
By facilitating such engagements, NIBAF reinforces its role as a catalyst for institutional learning and as a bridge between policy and practice. With digital banks gaining traction, the evening talk served not just as an educational exchange but as a reflection of the broader momentum toward a modern, inclusive, and tech-enabled financial ecosystem in Pakistan.