The PTCL Group has approved an equity investment of Rs15 billion (about $53 million) in U Microfinance Bank Limited, its microfinance subsidiary, to support expansion and speed up digital banking development.
PTCL said the capital injection will strengthen U Bank’s growth plans and help scale its digital platform, widening access to financial services across underserved segments.
U Microfinance Bank Chairman and PTCL Group CEO Hatem Bamatraf said the investment underlines the group’s commitment to financial inclusion and digital transformation within the microfinance sector.
U Microfinance Bank President and CEO Toran Asif said the funding comes as the bank prepares for the next phase of its digital strategy in 2026. He acknowledged support from PTCL Group and the State Bank of Pakistan, adding that the strategy focuses on launching new digital products and services nationwide.
The bank has already received the first tranche of Rs 4 billion, disbursed on December 31, 2025.
Separately, industry officials said the planned integration of Ufone and Telenor Pakistan into a merged entity, MergeCo, could reshape competition ahead of Pakistan’s first full-scale 5G rollout.
Speaking at the announcement, Bamatraf said the merger would allow the group to deliver seamless, secure, and digitally enabled services aligned with Pakistan’s digital agenda. Analysts noted that consolidation could improve investment capacity in next-generation infrastructure, especially as high spectrum costs and fragmented holdings have constrained sector growth.
