
Pakistan's first Islamic digital bank offers 14 percent Independence Day cashback
The 'Azadi Cashback' promotion, launched by aik, will run from Aug. 13 to Aug. 22 and allow customers to earn up to Rs3,000 ($10.75) in cashback during the period, credited to their accounts within one business day. The offer excludes utility bills, cash withdrawals, peer-to-peer transfers and government payments.
'The cashback is structured as a discretionary gift on the momentous occasion of Pakistan's 78th Independence Day,' aik said in a statement.
aik, which operates as a digital-only platform, said the promotion supports its mission to provide Riba-free financial services and encourage secure, cashless transactions. It aims to create a banking experience rooted in transparency, ethics and user empowerment.
aik said the Independence Day campaign was part of efforts to 'accelerate the adoption of secure digital payments across Pakistan,' combining 'convenience with compliance' for users seeking Islamic finance options.
Digital banking is expanding rapidly in Pakistan, driven by high smartphone penetration and government incentives for electronic payments. According to the State Bank of Pakistan, digital retail transactions surged over 50 percent year-on-year in fiscal 2024, with mobile banking emerging as a key growth segment.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Arab News
4 hours ago
- Arab News
India and China eye resumption of border trade after five years
NEW DELHI: India and China are discussing resuming border trade five years after it was halted, foreign ministry officials on both sides have said, as US tariffs disrupt the global trade order. Past trade between the neighbors across the icy and high-altitude Himalayan border passes was usually small in volume, but any resumption is significant for its symbolism. The two major economic powers have long competed for strategic influence across South Asia. However, the two countries, caught in global trade and geopolitical turbulence triggered by US President Donald Trump's tariff regime, have moved to mend ties. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is expected for talks in New Delhi on Monday, according to Indian media, after his counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar visited Beijing in July. That, as well as agreements to resume direct flights and issue tourist visas, has been seen as an effort to rebuild a relationship damaged after a deadly 2020 border clash between troops. 'For a long time, China-India border trade cooperation has played an important role in improving the lives of people living along the border,' China's foreign ministry said in a statement sent to AFP on Thursday. It said the two sides have 'reached a consensus on cross-border exchanges and cooperation, including resumption of border trade.' New Delhi's junior foreign minister, Kirti Vardhan Singh, told parliament last week that 'India has engaged with the Chinese side to facilitate the resumption of border trade.' No restart date was given by either side. Successive US administrations have seen India as a longstanding ally with like-minded interests when it comes to China. India is part of the Quad security alliance with the United States, as well as Australia and Japan. However, ties between New Delhi and Washington have been strained by Trump's ultimatum for India to end its purchases of Russian oil, a key source of revenue for Moscow as it wages its military offensive in Ukraine. The United States will double new import tariffs on India from 25 percent to 50 percent by August 27 if New Delhi does not switch crude suppliers. Indian foreign ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal told reporters on Thursday that the partnership between New Delhi and Washington had 'weathered several transitions and challenges.' Jaiswal said India hoped that the 'relationship will continue to move forward based on mutual respect and shared interests.' He said India 'stands ready' to support the efforts to end the Ukraine war and endorses the summit to be held between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to Indian media, might also visit China in late August. It would be Modi's first visit since 2018, although it has not been confirmed officially. Beijing has said that 'China welcomes Prime Minister Modi' for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit opening on August 31.


Arab News
7 hours ago
- Arab News
Dubai hosts world's largest Pakistan Independence Day gathering, embassy says
ISLAMABAD: About 60,000 people attended Pakistan's Independence Day celebration at the Dubai Expo City, making it the largest such gathering in the world, the embassy of Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates said on Thursday. Expressing gratitude to the UAE government, envoy Faisal Niaz Tirmizi acknowledged their support in making this year's Pakistan Independence Day celebrations 'unprecedented in scale.' 'The event, held on 10 August in Dubai Expo City attended by around 60,000 people, was the largest Pakistan Independence Day gathering held anywhere in the world,' the embassy said in a statement. Tirmizi also underscored the contributions of the Pakistani community in the UAE, underscoring their importance to Pakistan's economy at a time of fiscal reform and external account pressures. 'The Pakistani diaspora has played a vital role in the development of the UAE and has been a backbone of our economy through their remittances,' Tirmizi said, urging expatriates to continue their constructive role in the country's progress. As part of the celebrations, the embassy announced the launch of an online tracking system for passports and National Identity Cards for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP), aimed at improving consular services. Tirmizi also pointed to improvements in education, saying two community schools had achieved a 'Good' ranking for the first time in 20 years, and that more Pakistani private schools had been approached to expand branches in the Emirates.


Arab News
7 hours ago
- Arab News
Two LUMS professors become first Pakistanis to join MIT's J-PAL network
ISLAMABAD: Two faculty members from the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) have become the first Pakistani academics invited to join the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, LUMS said in a statement. Dr. Ali Cheema, the vice chancellor, is a professor of economics and politics at LUMS and co-founder of the university's Mahbub ul Haq Research Center, with research spanning political economy, development and governance. Dr. Farah Said is an associate professor of economics whose work focuses on gender, labor markets, and poverty, and she has led several randomized control trials on empowerment and development interventions. 'LUMS is delighted to announce that faculty members Dr. Farah Said and Dr. Ali Cheema have been invited to join the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) at MIT as Affiliated Professors — the first two faculty members from any Pakistani university to receive this honor,' the statement said. J-PAL, co-founded by Nobel laureates Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo, is one of the world's foremost institutions promoting evidence-based policymaking to reduce poverty. Its Affiliated Professors include leading economists from top global universities, among them five Nobel laureates. The selection of Dr. Said and Dr. Cheema recognizes their 'impactful work in economics and political economy, which has been published in top journals such as the Journal of Political Economy, American Political Science Review, Science, Economic Journal, and American Economic Journal: Applied Economics,' LUMS said. 'This milestone marks a significant achievement for LUMS, Pakistan's economic community, and the nation, as we contribute to shaping global economic research.' When asked to comment, Drs. Said and Cheema said their research owed much to their co-authors, colleagues, and students. 'This is an exciting time to be part of the Pakistani economist community, with a growing number of Pakistani-origin academics shaping global research on issues that are critical for the country,' the professors said. 'We are also seeing the emergence of exceptional young Pakistani scholars who are asking deep questions about why economies, polities, and societies are not delivering for their people.'