Mutaher Khan

Turning towards tech

Earning in dollars, even if the job is not prestigious, is one of the few ways to climb up the ladder Published 3 days ago

CORPORATE WINDOW; The nexus of banks and the state

The 20 listed banks recorded an aggregate net income of Rs579bn during 2024, up 6.1pc over the previous year Published 17 Mar, 2025 06:31am

Celebrating women with just talk, no action

Pakistan’s female labour force participation of 24.5pc significantly lags behind regional peers and other comparable countries. Updated 10 Mar, 2025 10:03am

The quiet shift in commercial real estate

Market-driven solutions that align incentives with improving service delivery can lead the way to formalising the real estate. Updated 03 Mar, 2025 02:29pm

Microfinance on the verge of collapse?

Despite expanding financial inclusion, Pakistan’s microfinance sector faces a deepening crisis, with rising losses, dwindling capital, and regulatory complacency threatening sustainability. Updated 27 Jan, 2025 01:16pm

Education wins big in tax dodge efforts

Loans to the sector surged to Rs182.1bn in October from about Rs28bn in September as banks looked for ADR loopholes. Published 20 Jan, 2025 06:20am

Startup funding — tough, but not terrible

In 2024, the average deal size clocked in at $3.75m, 68pc higher than the previous year. Published 13 Jan, 2025 06:18am

Plugging the ADR loop-hole

Attempts to encourage SME lending backfires as banks’ advances-to-deposits surge benefitted larger businesses the most. Published 06 Jan, 2025 06:27am

Welcome to the Stone Age: Pakistan ranked second by the duration of shutdowns in 2024 at 1,861 hours behind only Myanmar

Pakistan's digital economy's challenges includes macro uncertainty, dearth of capital and talent scarcity. Updated 30 Dec, 2024 10:35am

Digital banks — a matter of scale vs value

While tech-enabled platforms excel at user acquisition, these digital users generate substantially less return than traditional banks. Published 02 Dec, 2024 08:25am

Using the ADR playbook

With the return of the tax on failing to meet the minimum threshold of advances to deposits ratio, banks have gone on a lending Published 04 Nov, 2024 07:11am

Missing the mark — financing clean sectors

Pakistan could lose out on global climate financing if it continues to only look towards bilateral partners and financial institutions. Published 21 Oct, 2024 08:32am

From cash to clicks as digitisation increases

Mobile banking overtook ATMs by the number of transactions to become the single largest digital channel during the first quarter and has only extended its lead ever since. Updated 14 Oct, 2024 07:58am

Convoluted intrigues of venture capital funding

The Pakistan venture capital market remains unmoved as distant foreigners and uninterested local capital leave few options for startups. Updated 07 Oct, 2024 09:16am

Rise of ‘buy now, pay later’

With 19 opened branches, QistBazaar claims to have disbursed over 55,000 loans worth Rs3.4bn to consumers Updated 30 Sep, 2024 12:19pm

Islamic banking — beyond a niche

As of March, Shariah-compliant accounts made up a healthy 30.5pc of all banking branches, compared to 12.1pc back in June 2014. Updated 23 Sep, 2024 09:48am

The hollow boom of the financial sector

Pakistani banks earned Rs119.4bn in profit after tax in April-June, according to analysis based on quarterly compendium. Updated 16 Sep, 2024 08:32am

Provinces still plagued by financial inequality: survey

Inequity in financial inclusion across provinces represent a bleak outlook. Published 26 Aug, 2024 08:59am

Regional disparity — eating financial dust

Inequity in financial inclusion across provinces represent a bleak outlook. Updated 26 Aug, 2024 08:55am

Pakistani fintech startup PostEx raises $7.3m in pre-series A funding

Startup utilises a hybrid model of fintech, logistics to provide instant access to capital, removing "conventional barriers and challenges of traditional financing methods". Published 20 Aug, 2024 02:57pm