Mobilink Bank Acquires Apna Microfinance Bank
Mobilink Bank has signed a deal to acquire an 82.51 per cent stake in Apna Microfinance Bank, one of Pakistan’s smaller microfinance lenders. The sale purchase agreement is subject to legal and regulatory approvals.
Mobilink Bank President and Chief Executive Haaris M. Chaudhary and Apna Microfinance Bank Chairman Muhammad Akram Shahid signed the agreement on Thursday. Neither bank disclosed the transaction amount.
Apna Microfinance Bank is listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange. Once the deal is complete, its customers will become part of Mobilink Bank, with continued access to their accounts and services during the transition.
Apna Microfinance Bank customers gain JazzCash access
Apna Bank’s customers will gain access to Mobilink Bank’s nationwide branch network, its Islamic banking services and its digital financial services, powered by JazzCash. The bank said the aim was to safeguard the interests of Apna Bank’s depositors and to create a stronger institution.
“Mobilink Bank has built strong digital capabilities, scale and customer reach over time. As a customer-first organization, our focus is to ensure continuity for Apna Bank customers and make their transition into a larger, more future-ready institution as seamless as possible,” Mr Chaudhary said.
Apna Microfinance Bank’s Acting Chief Executive, Nazish Ali, said the agreement marked the start of an important new chapter for the bank. “We believe that becoming part of Mobilink Bank will provide our customers with access to broader capabilities, stronger digital infrastructure and an expanded range of financial services,” she said.
What the deal means for Mobilink Bank
The acquisition extends Mobilink Bank’s “Growth with Purpose” strategy. It is the bank’s latest step in building a full financial services group around its microfinance base.
Mobilink Bank Chairman Aamir Ibrahim, who is also chief executive of JazzWorld, said the group had built its ecosystem from JazzCash in payments to JazzSure Insurance and FikrFree in insurance. The Apna Bank deal now extends that ambition into banking for agriculture and micro-enterprises.
“We have been building the foundation of a comprehensive financial services ecosystem for Pakistan, from JazzCash’s extensive reach in payments to JazzSure Insurance and FikrFree’s modern insurance offerings in a market where insurance penetration remains considerably low, and now Mobilink Bank, which extends that same ambition into banking for agriculture and micro-enterprises,” Mr Ibrahim said.
“Each of these businesses complements the others, and together they bring us closer to a Pakistan where every citizen, regardless of where they live or how they earn a living, has access to the financial tools they need to grow,” he said.
The deal comes as Pakistan’s banks face pressure to widen access to finance. The State Bank has ordered banks to raise the share of women in their workforce to 22 per cent by 2028, part of a wider push on inclusion. Banks have also eased lending to small businesses.
JazzWorld itself reported strong growth this year. JazzWorld’s revenue reached Rs144.9 billion in the third quarter of 2026. The group’s digital payments arm, JazzCash, is one of the country’s largest branchless banking networks. A comparison of Pakistan’s banking apps ranked the leading digital banks earlier this year.
The acquisition still needs clearance from the regulators before it can close. The banks did not give a date for completion.
Frequently asked questions
What has Mobilink Bank agreed to buy?
It has signed a sale purchase agreement to acquire an 82.51 per cent shareholding in Apna Microfinance Bank, subject to legal and regulatory approvals.
How much is the deal worth?
Neither bank disclosed the transaction amount.
What happens to Apna Bank customers?
They will become part of Mobilink Bank once the deal completes, keeping access to their accounts and services throughout. They will gain access to Mobilink’s branches, Islamic banking and the JazzCash digital network.
Who signed the agreement?
Mobilink Bank President and Chief Executive Haaris M. Chaudhary and Apna Microfinance Bank Chairman Muhammad Akram Shahid signed it on Thursday.
