The board of directors on Wednesday approved the audited financial statements and recommended a final cash dividend of 350 per cent (Rs35 per share), subject to shareholder approval at the forthcoming 77th annual general meeting.

The bank reported a pre-tax profit of Rs178.9bn in 2025, up 216pc from Rs56.7bn in 2024. Profit after tax increased 220pc, translating into earnings per share of Rs40.4 compared to Rs12.6 a year earlier.

Net interest income rose 45.4pc year-on-year to Rs248.5bn, supported by a reduction in the cost of funds to 8.8pc from 15.8pc in 2024, improved funding mix and disciplined balance sheet management.

Total income grew 31.9pc to Rs311.7bn, while operating expenses declined to Rs124.8bn from Rs177.4bn, reflecting cost optimisation and the absence of non-recurring charges.

Total assets increased 4.8pc year-on-year to Rs7,066.9bn. Deposits rose 14.6pc to Rs4,429.3bn, with a current and savings account ratio of 81.3pc.

UBL earns Rs30bn

Meanwhile, the United Bank Ltd (UBL) on Wednesday announced consolidated earnings of Rs29.9bn (EPS: Rs11.9) for the fourth quarter of 2025, up 15pc year-on-year but down 15pc quarter-on-quarter.

UBL recorded a 96pc year-on-year increase in deposits to Rs5.2 trillion by Dec 31, 2025.

For the full year 2025, earnings rose to Rs130bn (EPS: Rs51.9), reflecting an increase of 73pc over the preceding year.

The fourth-quarter results fell short of industry expectations owing to higher-than-anticipated non-interest expenses.

Published in Dawn, February 26th, 2026

BankIslami, one of Pakistan’s fastest-growing Islamic banks, has announced the launch of a Riba-free Agri Vehicle Financing solution. The offering is designed to promote the country’s agriculture sector and equip farmers and agri-based businesses with affordable transportation to strengthen the supply chain and enable industry growth.

This facility aims to empower the country’s agricultural ecosystem and provide access to affordable vehicles for the distribution of essential commodities, supporting sustainable growth and employment opportunities across the sector.

The financing is available for tenures extending up to 8 years, designed to match seasonal cash flows and business requirements, and is offered nationwide across BankIslami’s branch network. The facility is accessible to individual farmers, agricultural commodity and input transporters, commercial service providers, and agricultural processors.

The launch reaffirms the Bank’s commitment to eliminate Riba from key economic sectors and expand its presence across rural Pakistan. The Bank continues to strengthen its portfolio of Shariah-compliant financial services in line with its mission of Saving Humanity from Riba.

Islamabad and Riyadh have agreed to boost Pakistani agricultural and food exports to Saudi Arabia up to $3 billion, the countries said in a joint statement on Sunday.

The statement, shared by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), said the agreement was reached after “successful” talks between Saudi Arabia’s agriculture ministry and Pakistan’s food security ministry, at the initiative of PM Shehbaz Sharif.

At the invitation of the Pakistani government, a Saudi delegation led by Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Engineer Abdulrahman Al-Fadley visited Islamabad from August 26 to August 28.

The delegation included senior officials from Riyadh’s Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, the General Food Security Authority and other relevant institutions.

PM Shehbaz met the Saudi delegation and discussed potential areas of cooperation in detail, the joint statement said, referring to Friday’s meeting.

“The two countries expressed their shared commitment to increase Pakistan’s agricultural and food exports to Saudi Arabia to $3bn, with efforts to be made to achieve the target over the next two years,” it read.

“For this purpose, rice, red meat, fruits and their concentrates, green fodder and water-efficient agricultural technologies were identified as priority sectors in collaboration with the Saudi private sector.”

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) collected more than Rs. 1.72 trillion during the first two months of FY2026-27, exceeding its cumulative tax target by around Rs. 12 billion despite missing the August target by Rs. 28 billion.

FBR’s tax collection target for July and August was set at Rs. 1.71 trillion.

August alone remained below target after clocking in at Rs. 902 billion against a monthly target of Rs. 930 billion, with FBR recording a shortfall of Rs. 28 billion during the month.

The tax authority collected over Rs. 1.722 trillion during the period, showing a modest surplus against the two-month target.

The revenue position also comes as FBR has significantly increased taxpayer refunds compared with the same period last year.

FBR paid Rs. 155 billion in refunds during the first two months of the current fiscal year, compared with Rs. 124 billion during the corresponding period last year.

This means refunds increased by Rs. 31 billion, putting additional pressure on the net revenue position even as overall two-month tax collection remained above the government’s target.

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has reiterated its support for small shopkeepers, saying registered retailers can meet their tax liability by paying a 1 percent turnover tax under the government’s Retailer Scheme.

Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani made the remarks during a follow-up awareness session on the Small Shopkeepers Scheme at FBR Headquarters in Islamabad on Monday.

Kayani said the scheme offers simplified registration, flexible payment options and an easier compliance process for small retailers.

He described it as one of the simplest tax schemes introduced in Pakistan and urged shopkeepers to register and fulfill their tax obligations.

Zong, Pakistan’s leading technology services enterprise, has partnered with Zindigi, powered by JS Bank, to launch Z-Wallet, bringing regulated digital financial services directly into the My Zong App (MZA) through an embedded-finance model powered by Zindigi’s Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) infrastructure.

The launch event, attended by Federal Minister for Information & Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar; Minister of State for Overseas Pakistanis & Human Resource Development Mohammad Awn Saqlain; Minister of State for Finance and Railways and Head of the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit Bilal Azhar Kayani; Director General, Directorate General of Immigration & Passports Chaudhry Muhammad Ali Randhawa; Federal Secretary, Ministry of Privatisation Hammad Shamimi; Counsellor Zhao Yang (Counsellor Zhung), Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Pakistan; and DG IPO Nauman Aslam, among other dignitaries and government officials, marks an important milestone in the evolution of both telecommunications and digital financial services in Pakistan, demonstrating how banking capabilities can be embedded directly into large-scale consumer platforms to create simpler, more accessible and integrated digital experiences.

With more than 22 million monthly active users, My Zong App customers can now access essential banking services within an app they already use, without the need to download or switch to a separate banking application. This initiative represents another step in Zong’s transformation from a traditional telecommunications operator into a broader technology services enterprise.

Built on Zindigi by JS Bank’s regulated banking infrastructure and operating under the regulatory framework of the State Bank of Pakistan, Z-Wallet combines Zong’s technology platforms and customer touchpoints with Zindigi’s digital banking and financial technology capabilities.

Z-Wallet customers can access services including interbank fund transfers to any bank in Pakistan through RAAST, utility and internet bill payments, and mobile top-ups, all through a single login and PIN. The proposition is expected to expand further, with planned services including nano lending, a Z-Debit Card and specialized Zong bundles, creating a broader financial-services ecosystem within the My Zong App.

Speaking on the occasion, Federal Minister for Information & Broadcasting, Attaullah Tarar said: “Pakistan’s digital transformation must translate into greater access, opportunity and convenience for its citizens. The launch of Z-Wallet is a positive example of how telecommunications and financial technology can come together to expand access to digital financial services through platforms already used by millions of Pakistanis. Such private-sector collaborations support the Government’s Digital Nation Pakistan vision by advancing digital and financial inclusion, encouraging the adoption of digital payments, and enabling greater participation in the digital economy.”