Karachi, October 9, 2026: The Pakistan Microfinance Network (PMN) has concluded the 10th Annual Microfinance Conference (AMC-X) in Karachi, calling for a shift from expanding financial access to delivering measurable economic progress for women, farmers, microenterprises and underserved rural communities.
Organised by PMN in collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) under the European Union-funded Poverty Alleviation and Inclusive Development Across Rural Sindh (PAIDAR) programme, the two-day conference brought together government representatives, regulators, financial institutions, development partners and industry experts.
Held under the theme “Pathways for Inclusive Growth: Unlocking Synergies,” AMC-X marked a decade of dialogue and collaboration on strengthening financial inclusion in Pakistan.
Finance Minister Calls for Outcome-Based Lending
Addressing the conference virtually, Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb linked financial inclusion with Pakistan’s transition from macroeconomic stabilisation towards sustainable economic growth.
He called for greater adoption of cash-flow-based lending, digital credit tools and alternative data to expand access to formal finance, particularly for agricultural borrowers and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
The minister stressed that the success of microfinance should be measured not only by lending volumes and the number of borrowers but also by outcomes such as business growth, job creation, borrower progression and women’s economic participation.
Opening AMC-X, PMN Chairman and HBL Microfinance Bank President and CEO Amir Khan urged the integration of microfinance into Pakistan’s broader financial ecosystem rather than treating it as a separate system.
He said the sector’s next decade should focus on helping clients build stronger businesses, accumulate assets and achieve greater financial independence.
Sindh Government Welcomes PAIDAR Innovation Labs
On the second day, Jeroen Willems, Head of Cooperation at the EU in Pakistan, addressed the conference virtually and reaffirmed the European Union’s continued collaboration in Sindh’s development.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah emphasised that financial inclusion must go beyond basic access, with financial products designed around clients’ incomes, seasonal requirements and risk profiles.
He also highlighted the importance of bringing government, financial institutions and development partners together at an early stage to address poverty and support enterprise development.
The chief minister welcomed the launch of PAIDAR Innovation Labs, an initiative intended to bring financial institutions and rural enterprises together to design and test financial products for underserved markets in Sindh. The initiative builds on PAIDAR’s broader efforts to promote rural enterprise development, risk-sharing and access to finance.
Guarantee-Based Financing to Expand to Rs4.2 Billion
A major outcome of AMC-X was the expansion of the PAIDAR guarantee-based financing facility in partnership with the National Credit Guarantee Company Limited (NCGCL).
Under Phase II, the facility will increase from Rs200 million to Rs4.2 billion, while the number of participating financial institutions will rise from three to eight.
The programme will serve borrowers in Larkana, Badin, Thatta, Sujawal and Tharparkar, with women targeted to receive at least 50 per cent of the allocated financing.
NCGCL will provide risk-sharing support for direct microenterprise lending and guarantees for commercial bank and development finance institution credit lines extended to microfinance institutions. A €2 million grant under the EU-funded UNIDO PAIDAR programme will support beneficiary identification, technical assistance and mark-up assistance.
Another key development was the signing of a Rs1 billion financing facility between the Pakistan Microfinance Investment Company (PMIC) and the National Rural Support Programme (NRSP) under the PMIC–KfW Renewable Energy Initiative through Microfinance (PRIME) Programme.
Climate Resilience, Digital Finance and Women’s Empowerment in Focus
Conference sessions explored emerging trends in microfinance, women’s access to finance, regulation, artificial intelligence, climate resilience, Islamic microfinance, digital platforms, liquidity and the sector’s future through 2035.
State Bank of Pakistan Deputy Governor Saleem Ullah stressed the importance of customer-centred innovation, commercial sustainability and measuring meaningful financial inclusion rather than simply counting accounts or borrowers.
Kashf Foundation Managing Director Roshaneh Zafar highlighted mission drift and climate vulnerability as two major risks facing the microfinance industry, calling for measures to address both challenges.
Discussions on women’s financial inclusion emphasised the need to strengthen women’s agency, control over financial resources and economic independence. Other sessions highlighted productive finance, savings, insurance, climate resilience and pathways for customers to graduate towards more sustainable economic activity.
HBL Microfinance Bank and NRSP Receive Awards
AMC-X also recognised institutions and individuals for their contributions to Pakistan’s financial-inclusion landscape through the Pakistan Microfinance Awards 2026.
HBL Microfinance Bank received the award for Best Microfinance Bank, while the National Rural Support Programme was recognised in the Best Non-Banking Microfinance Company (NBMFC) category.
Dr Muhammad Amjad Saqib was honoured for pioneering and expanding Akhuwat’s dignity-based, interest-free financial-inclusion model. Naved A. Khan was recognised for linking mainstream banking leadership and financial-sector governance with innovative financing for microfinance institutions and underserved communities.
Marking ten years of the Annual Microfinance Conference, PMN reaffirmed its commitment to fostering partnerships, policy dialogue and collective action to ensure that financial inclusion translates into stronger livelihoods, resilient enterprises and more inclusive economic growth.