On 18 March 2026 in Lahore, National Bank of Pakistan held its 2nd Merchant Sales Conference, hosted by Golootlo, bringing together senior bank leadership, global payment schemes, fintech partners and key stakeholders from retail and Islamic banking to accelerate Cashless Payments adoption.
In a keynote address, Rehmat Ali Hasnie, President and CEO of NBP, set out the bank’s strategic priorities to scale digital payments, expand merchant acceptance in urban and semi-urban markets and position NBP as a leading driver of inclusive, secure and interoperable digital payment services nationwide.
A fireside conversation led by Adnan Nasir, SEVP and Chief Digital Officer, examined the bank’s digital transformation journey and the evolving role of debit cards and the mobile app within NBP’s broader financial inclusion agenda. Contributions from Fouad Farrukh, SEVP and Group Chief Islamic Banking, and Syed Mujtaba Abbas, SEVP and Group Chief Retail Banking, highlighted how their business segments support transaction growth, merchant enablement and customer uptake of digital channels.
A panel chaired by the Head of Cards focused on practical measures to accelerate cashless transactions, exploring collaboration between payment schemes, merchant incentives and grounded strategies to boost debit and digital transaction volumes. The session underlined the importance of coordinated action between schemes, fintechs and bank divisions to navigate a rapidly evolving payments landscape.
A second panel, chaired by the Division Head of the Digital Banking Group, addressed merchant acquiring and acceptance infrastructure. Panelists discussed acquiring models, technology enablement and the role of fintech partnerships in expanding merchant acceptance and improving transaction efficiency, with an emphasis on solutions suited to Pakistan’s diverse merchant base.
The conference reinforced NBP’s emphasis on execution, collaboration and partnership led growth, aligning internal teams and external partners around a shared objective to scale Cashless Payments across Pakistan and drive greater financial inclusion through digital means.
