- Inclusive banking needs stronger support for women, rural entrepreneurs and underserved marginalized communities
- Regulatory innovation must accelerate cryptocurrency adoption, fintech integration
Interview with Ms. Natasha Haseeb, Anchor PTV News
PAGE: Tell me something about yourself, please:
Natasha Haseeb: I am currently serving as an Anchor at Pakistan Television News (PTV), where I host the flagship business program “Economy in Focus.” This show delves into the multifaceted dimensions of the national and global economy, encompassing sectors such as business, investment, financial markets, and macroeconomic trends. With a commitment to journalistic integrity and intellectual depth, I strive to elevate the program through incisive content, distinguished panelists, and verifiable, high-caliber information. The show’s evolution into a dynamic and informative platform is a testament to the rigorous research, compelling discourse, and authentic storytelling we bring to our audience.
In essence, I am a curious mind and a passionate communicator who thrives on meaningful engagement and informed dialogue. Whether on-screen or behind the scenes, I remain committed to fostering a more economically aware society through credible journalism and thoughtful inquiry. My journey continues to be shaped by knowledge, research, and the pursuit of stories that matter.
PAGE: What is your perspective about the banking sector of Pakistan?
Natasha Haseeb: The banking sector of Pakistan has demonstrated exceptional dynamism and resilience over the past two decades, evolving into a fundamental pillar of the national economy. Under the vigilant oversight of the State Bank of Pakistan, the industry has not only preserved stability in times of macroeconomic turbulence but has also broadened the scope of its services in a consistent manner. Particularly notable is the exponential ascent of Islamic banking, wherein Pakistan now ranks among the fastest-growing jurisdictions, offering Shariah-compliant and ethically grounded financial solutions that appeal to a diverse and expansive clientele.
Among the most transformative advancements is the accelerated proliferation of digital and branchless banking frameworks. Platforms such as Easypaisa, JazzCash, and the mobile applications of leading commercial banks have succeeded in integrating millions of previously unbanked individuals into the formal financial system. This wave of digitalization has augmented financial inclusion while simultaneously engendering convenience, operational efficiency, and transactional transparency, thereby making banking services accessible to both metropolitan and rural constituencies.
Looking toward the future, the trajectory of Pakistan’s banking industry appears decidedly auspicious. The issuance of digital banking licenses heralds the advent of a more competitive and technologically sophisticated era in financial services. Furthermore, untapped potential persists in domains such as small and medium-sized enterprise financing, agricultural credit facilities, and environmentally sustainable financing instruments, all of which can serve as catalysts for equitable and enduring economic growth.
In synthesis, the sector’s adaptability and propensity for innovation strongly position it to remain an engine of expansion, capital formation, and financial empowerment. By harmonizing technological advancements with inclusive and sustainable practices, Pakistan’s banking industry is poised to consolidate its role as a cornerstone of both national development and international economic integration.
PAGE: How would you comment on microfinance industry and subsequent inclusive banking?
Natasha Haseeb: The microfinance sector in Pakistan has crystallized as a formidable instrument for advancing financial inclusion and mitigating poverty. Pioneering institutions such as Khushhali Bank, Akhuwat, and FINCA have assumed a pivotal role in extending micro-credit facilities to low-income households, with particular emphasis on women and rural entrepreneurs. By circumventing the conventional constraints of collateralized lending, microfinance has empowered countless individuals to establish entrepreneurial ventures, elevate their standards of living, and inject vitality into local economic ecosystems.
This sustained expansion of microfinance has furnished the groundwork for a more comprehensive progression toward inclusive banking. With the regulatory stewardship of the State Bank of Pakistan, financial institutions are increasingly widening their ambit to encompass historically marginalized constituencies, including women, smallholder farmers, and micro- and small-scale enterprises. The accelerated proliferation of digital platforms and mobile wallets has further invigorated this transition, enabling remote populations to access essential financial services — savings, credit, and insurance—with heightened efficiency, transparency, and convenience.
The prospective trajectory of inclusive banking within Pakistan is exceedingly auspicious. The convergence of technological innovation with microfinance practices, coupled with the burgeoning of Islamic microfinance paradigms, is poised to amplify outreach and impact. By enfranchising marginalized demographics and fostering equitable access to financial instruments, Pakistan’s microfinance and inclusive banking domains are not merely fortifying the national economy but are simultaneously engendering socio-economic uplift and ensuring sustainable financial empowerment over the long horizon.
PAGE: What is your standpoint on cryptocurrency and investment opportunities?
Natasha Haseeb: Cryptocurrency is increasingly garnering recognition in Pakistan as an emergent digital asset class characterized by innovation, transparency, and global interoperability. With the state’s initiation of a regulatory edifice through the establishment of the Pakistan Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (PVARA), there is mounting optimism regarding the assimilation of cryptocurrencies into the formalized financial architecture. This regulatory evolution underscores an institutional acknowledgment of the manifold benefits such assets may confer, including heightened transactional security, diminished remittance costs, and augmented participation within the globalized digital economy.
Complementing these regulatory strides, Pakistan’s burgeoning cohort of digitally adept youth and the rapid proliferation of digital banking infrastructure furnish a robust substratum for the diffusion of cryptocurrency adoption. As financial literacy and technological awareness expand, digital assets possess the potential to serve as instruments of financial enfranchisement—particularly for small-scale investors and entrepreneurial actors seeking diversified avenues for savings, speculative trading, and access to transnational markets.
From an investment vantage point, Pakistan manifests compelling prospects within the expansive digital asset ecosystem. With imminent frameworks to license and regulate service providers, investors may anticipate structured participation in indigenous cryptocurrency exchanges, custodial arrangements, and blockchain-driven payment modalities within a safeguarded and transparent operational milieu.
Extending beyond the confines of speculative trading, vast opportunities reside in the deployment of blockchain technology across supply chain management, the tokenization of tangible and intangible assets, and even bitcoin mining initiatives leveraging surplus electricity reserves in designated regions. Such endeavors hold the capacity to galvanize both domestic and international investment, catalyze technological innovation, generate employment, and open novel vectors of economic dynamism—consolidating Pakistan’s stature as a promising locus for digital financial investment.
PAGE: What is your standpoint on the use of technology in banking?
Natasha Haseeb: The banking sector in Pakistan has strategically embraced technology as a cardinal catalyst for modernization and sustained growth. Under the stewardship of the State Bank of Pakistan, which has championed the national drive toward digitization, financial institutions are progressively abandoning conventional modalities in favor of advanced digital solutions. The exponential proliferation of mobile and internet banking has conferred upon millions of clients uninterrupted, round-the-clock access to financial services. This paradigm shift not only economizes time but also attenuates dependence on physical branch networks, thereby augmenting efficiency and accessibility across diverse demographic segments.
A particularly transformative milestone has been the inauguration of the State Bank’s Raast instant payment infrastructure, which facilitates immediate, low-cost digital settlements. In tandem with branchless banking platforms such as Easypaisa and JazzCash, this innovation has successfully extended financial access to historically excluded cohorts, particularly in peripheral and agrarian regions. Through the ubiquity of mobile technology, individuals are now empowered to execute remittances, settle utility obligations, and even secure microfinance facilities seamlessly from handheld devices, thereby redefining the contours of financial inclusion.
The infusion of technology within banking practices has also fortified transparency and institutional accountability within the broader economy. The progressive migration from cash to digital channels enhances the traceability of monetary flows, curtails illicit transactions, and strengthens the state’s capacity for effective tax mobilization. Concurrently, the symbiosis between e-commerce enterprises and banking platforms is engendering more rapid, secure, and streamlined payment architectures, thereby fostering entrepreneurial activity, commercial dynamism, and the consolidation of the digital economy.
Envisioning the future, Pakistan’s banking industry is poised for an expansive technological renaissance. The imminent rollout of digital banking licenses, the integration of artificial intelligence applications, and the prioritization of robust cybersecurity frameworks presage a new epoch of more intelligent, secure, and personalized financial intermediation. This digital metamorphosis not only amplifies customer utility but also catalyzes macroeconomic growth by reinforcing financial inclusion, stimulating innovation, and enhancing the sector’s competitiveness within the global financial ecosystem.