Naveed Sultan, Professor at Imperial Business School and former Global Chairman of Citigroup’s Institutional Clients Group, has reiterated the urgent need for Pakistan to adopt a cohesive national digital policy. Building on his address at the Pakistan Banking Summit, Sultan stressed the strategic importance of developing a unified digital ecosystem that integrates public and private sector efforts to drive long-term economic transformation.
With decades of experience leading one of the world’s largest financial institutions, Sultan’s voice adds significant weight to the conversation around Pakistan’s digital future. In his recent remarks, he called for an integrated framework that combines several critical pillars — digital payments infrastructure, e-governance, fintech innovation, and widespread digital literacy. According to him, a well-designed national digital strategy can serve as a key catalyst for accelerating financial inclusion, improving governance, and boosting Pakistan’s presence in the global digital economy.
Sultan highlighted that isolated initiatives in the digital space are no longer sufficient. He pointed to the fragmented rollout of services and the limited scalability of many fintech ventures in Pakistan as a result of the absence of a clear national direction. In contrast, he cited international models where governments have taken a lead in shaping digitally empowered economies through well-aligned policies, strong institutional support, and targeted investments in digital capability building.
One of the core components of Sultan’s proposal is the development of a robust digital payments infrastructure. This, he argued, forms the foundation of an inclusive financial system where citizens, regardless of location or socioeconomic background, can access secure and affordable digital financial services. He also emphasized the role of regulatory authorities in ensuring interoperability and consumer protection within the fintech landscape.
Equally vital, in Sultan’s view, is the institutionalization of e-governance across federal and provincial levels. He believes digital public services not only improve transparency and service delivery but also act as enablers for other sectors, such as health, education, and small business development. Fintechs and startups, he noted, can only scale when supported by a digitally functional state and a data-friendly environment.
Sultan further underscored that digital literacy should be treated as a national priority. For a country of over 240 million people, the potential of digital tools cannot be realized unless citizens possess the skills to use them effectively. He urged policy makers, educators, and industry leaders to collaborate on building digital awareness and capability from the grassroots level.
Concluding his remarks, Sultan expressed optimism that Pakistan can still position itself as a rising digital economy, provided it embraces a long-term strategic mindset. The convergence of fintech, digital infrastructure, and institutional reform offers a unique opportunity to rewrite the country’s economic narrative. But without a unified national framework, he warned, Pakistan risks falling further behind in the global race for digital leadership.