By Muhammad Haaris ⏐ 1 hour ago ⏐ Newspaper Icon Newspaper Icon 3 min read
Easypaisa Hosts Annual Dinner Celebrating 1st Digital Banking Anniversary Partners In Progress

easypaisa, celebrated the first year of its digital banking operations amid guest of honor Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Federal Minister for IT & Telecommunications, Bilal Azhar Kayani, Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Musadik Masood Malik, Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination and easypaisa board members, government officials, policymakers, business leaders, members of the media, and intelligentsia.

Hosted by easypaisa’s Board Chairman, Irfan Wahab Khan; Board Director and President of Ant International, Douglas Feagin; and President & CEO, Jahanzeb Khan, the event highlighted easypaisa Digital Bank’s contributions and progress in advancing digital finance nationwide.

The occasion also marked the launch of easypaisa’s partnership with Ant International, with Jahanzeb Khan announcing that easypaisa is collaborating with WorldFirst, an Ant Group–powered cross-border payments platform. WorldFirst supports payments in over 100 currencies across more than 210 countries and regions. Through this partnership, easypaisa is positioned to become the most globally connected digital bank in Pakistan, enabling customers to receive remittances and cross-border payments from over 100 countries directly into their easypaisa accounts. With transparent foreign exchange rates and fast, secure settlement, the partnership significantly expands remittance reach beyond traditional corridors such as the GCC, UK, and US, unlocking long-tail corridors for Pakistani workers, freelancers, and exporters.

The Chief Guest, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, congratulated easypaisa Digital Bank on completing its first year of digital banking operations in Pakistan. She stated:

The promotion of the digital economy is a top priority of the government under the dynamic leadership of the Prime Minister. Concrete steps are being taken to advance and strengthen the digital economy.

She added that, under the Prime Minister’s leadership, the digitisation process is being accelerated to align the economy with modern requirements. Shaza Fatima Khawaja further noted that the record increase in IT exports is a positive and encouraging sign for the national economy.

Bilal Azhar Kayani commended easypaisa’s role and its 1st year of digital banking operations. He said:

Having practitioners at the table helps guide effective policymaking. What is important is to demonstrate the real, on-ground benefits of going cashless, what it truly means for people, and the value it delivers. Our priorities include expanding merchant digitisation, integrating digital payments with government services, and promoting electronic transactions across sectors, supported by an enabling regulatory and policy environment.

Irfan Wahab Khan lauded the role of regulators, the government’s forward-looking policies, and the support of partners such as Ant International. He remarked:

Today is a moment of pride not only for easypaisa, but for Pakistan’s entire financial ecosystem, as we celebrate the first anniversary of easypaisa Digital Bank’s commercial operations. This milestone reflects how far we have come as a nation in embracing innovation, inclusion, and digital transformation.

Douglas Feagin, President of Ant International and Senior Vice President of Ant Group, reaffirmed Ant Group’s commitment to Pakistan, stating:

We are proud to stand alongside easypaisa as it embarks on this exciting chapter. Together, we will continue to leverage technology to unlock opportunities and build a more inclusive financial future for Pakistan.

easypaisa processed 3.8 billion transactions totalling over PKR 15 trillion in 2025, a volume equivalent to roughly 11% of Pakistan’s GDP. The digital bank now serves 20% of the Pakistani population, with women accounting for 31% of its total user base.