Mobilink Bank’s ISO certification

Mobilink Bank has achieved ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification for meeting international standards for data security, as per a press release.

Globally, the ISO/IEC 27001:2022 is widely regarded as the gold standard for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving an Information Security Management System. Mobilink Bank’s certification demonstrates a robust, independently validated approach to information security across its digital banking ecosystem.

Commenting on the achievement, Mustapha Lotia, Chief Information Security Officer at Mobilink Bank, said, “Our customers place immense trust in us with their data, and this certification reinforces our responsibility to protect that trust while continuing to deliver innovative, secure, and reliable digital banking services across Pakistan.”

Trouble at Karachi sea ports

Over the past 10–15 years, Pakistan’s imports and exports have increased manifold, resulting in a significant rise in national revenue and tax collection. While this growth is encouraging, it is concerning that the capacity, infrastructure, and machinery at Karachi’s sea ports and terminals have not been expanded in proportion.

Old terminals such as KICT and KGTL (formerly PICT) are still operating at nearly the same capacity as they were 15–20 years ago. As a result, container storage space is rapidly diminishing, and discussions are now underway regarding the diversion of vessels. With the continuous rise in import and export volumes, the daily number of containers marked for customs examination at Karachi International Container Terminal and Karachi Gateway Terminal has increased from approximately 100 containers per day to nearly 150-200 containers daily.

However, due to the absence of corresponding improvements in space, machinery, and manpower, containers often remain idle for five to six days awaiting examination and grounding. These delays impose a heavy financial burden on importers in the form of excessive demurrage and detention charges.

At the same time, the Customs Department is facing an acute shortage of examination staff. Each examiner has a limited human capacity, and overburdening them not only increases delays but also adversely affects the quality of examination. Similarly, the number of Assistant Collectors and Deputy Collectors has declined significantly compared to previous years, leading to delays in decision-making and administrative bottlenecks.

Nearly 80pc of Pakistan’s international trade is routed through Karachi Port. The Karachi Customs Agents As­­sociation urges the Government of Pakistan and the Federal Board of Re­venue to take decisive measures by enhancing the capacity of Karachi ports, providing modern cargo-handl­ing machinery, and increasing the str­ength of customs examination staff.

Finleap to broaden credit access

ABHI Microfinance Bank and Finleap Financial Services (Private) Limited have entered into a strategic partnership aimed at expanding access to digital loans and Buy Now, Pay Later solutions, a move that reflects a growing effort to address financial disparity and improve access to formal credit across Pakistan.

Through Finleap’s digital platform, Daira, the partnership aims to make short-term credit more accessible to those who have traditionally been underserved by conventional banking channels.

The collaboration brings together ABHI Microfinance Bank’s digital-first banking capabilities with Finleap’s technology-led lending model, with a shared emphasis on responsible innovation and customer protection. By widening access to structured digital credit, the partnership is expected to support greater financial resilience at the individual level, while also contributing to broader economic activity and inclusion.

Banking industry cyber drill

As a joint initiative of the Pakistan Banks Association (PBA) and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), Pakistan’s banking sector concluded its first-ever Industry-wide Cyber Drill, a week-long exercise held from January 12 –19, 2026, in Karachi and Lahore, with a closing ceremony in Karachi.

The cyber drill brought 34 financial institutions together, with active participation through an industry-provided simulation lab. Conducted through parallel management and technical tracks, the exercise required participating institutions to respond to realistic cyber crisis scenarios, including ransomware attacks and disruptions to key alternative digital channels. The purpose of this hands-on exercise was to assess and strengthen the incident response, coordination, and crisis management capabilities of financial institutions amid an evolving cyber threat landscape.

Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, January 25th, 2026