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The second Pakistan Banking Awards held in Karachi

Updated 20 Sep, 2017 04:39pm
Bank Alfalah and Telenor Microfinance Bank win two awards each.
Suhail Yaqoob Khan, Chief Risk Officer, Bank Alfalah  receiving the award for Best Bank from Tariq Bajwa, Governor, State Bank of Pakistan. Also in the picture are Husain Lawai, Chief Executive, Institute of Bankers Pakistan; S.M. Shabbar Zaidi, Senior Partner A.F. Ferguson & Co., and Syed Ali Hasan Naqvi, General Manager Marketing, the DAWN Media Group.
Suhail Yaqoob Khan, Chief Risk Officer, Bank Alfalah receiving the award for Best Bank from Tariq Bajwa, Governor, State Bank of Pakistan. Also in the picture are Husain Lawai, Chief Executive, Institute of Bankers Pakistan; S.M. Shabbar Zaidi, Senior Partner A.F. Ferguson & Co., and Syed Ali Hasan Naqvi, General Manager Marketing, the DAWN Media Group.

Bank Alfalah clinched the Best Bank, as well as the Best Customer Franchise Award at the second Pakistan Banking Awards 2017, which were held last night in Karachi at the Pearl Continental Hotel. The awards honoured excellence and innovation in banking and were organised by the Dawn Media Group and The Institute of Bankers Pakistan (IBP) in collaboration with A.F. Ferguson & Co.

In addition to Bank Alfalah, the only other bank to win two awards was Telenor Microfinance Bank, which received the Bank the Unbanked and Best Microfinance Bank Awards. The other winners were: United Bank Limited (Best Bank for Corporate Finance and Capital Market Development), Meezan Bank (Best Islamic Bank), and JS Bank (Best Environmental, Social & Governance Bank).

The Jury, led by Syed Salim Raza, former Governor, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), included Azhar Hamid, former Banking Mohtasib Pakistan & former Country Head, SCB Pakistan; Feroze Rizvi, President and CEO, Pakistan Institute of Corporate Governance; Zeelaf Munir, MD & CEO, English Biscuit Manufactuerers; and Shehzad Naqvi, former Regional Head, Citibank Middle East & Pakistan.

During his speech at the Awards, Tariq Bajwa, Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan, said that the banking industry has played “a pivotal role in the overall economic growth and development” of Pakistan, and stated that banking “has become one of the most sought-after careers in Pakistan.”

S.M. Shabbar Zaidi, Senior Partner, A.F. Ferguson & Co., was of the opinion the awards have been “conceptualised with the aim to set a novel benchmark that recognises the superior performance of banking institutions. Our ambition [with these awards] is not to simply declare the best ones on the basis of their financial performance, but based on their non-financial merits as well, including, but not limited to, the range of products they offer to various consumer segments, as well as the quality of their customer service.”

Syed Ali Hasan Naqvi, General Manager Marketing, The Dawn Media Group, added: “We believe that a successful bank is not only one that rewards its shareholders, but one which contributes positively to national economic development.”

The ceremony was hosted by Sidra Iqbal, a prominent media personality, and the entertainment included musical performances by Ustad Hamid Ali Khan.