PTCL Group approves Rs15bn equity investment in U Microfinance Bank

Bank receives first Rs4bn tranche; next phase of digital strategy due in 2026

PTCL Group has approved an equity investment of Rs15 billion (around $53 million) in U Microfinance Bank Limited (U Bank), its microfinance subsidiary.

The group said the investment is intended to support U Bank’s growth plans and accelerate the development of its digital banking platform to broaden outreach.

U Microfinance Bank Chairman and PTCL Group CEO Hatem Bamatraf said the investment reaffirmed the group’s commitment to financial inclusion and digital transformation in the microfinance sector.

Read: PTCL-backed MergeCo eyes 5G rollout

U Microfinance Bank President and CEO Toran Asif said the capital injection comes as the bank prepares for the next phase of its digital transformation strategy in 2026, acknowledging support from PTCL Group and the State Bank of Pakistan.

He said the strategy centres on new digital products and services designed to expand access to financial services across the country.

The bank has received the first tranche of Rs4 billion, which was disbursed on December 31, 2025.

Separately, the planned integration of Ufone and Telenor Pakistan into a merged operator known as MergeCo is expected to alter the competitive landscape ahead of Pakistan’s first full-scale 5G rollout, according to industry officials.

Speaking at the announcement, Bamatraf said the merger would enable the group to deliver “seamless, secure and digitally enabled services” in line with Pakistan’s digital agenda.

Industry observers said the consolidation could enhance PTCL-backed operators’ capacity to invest in next-generation infrastructure at a time when high spectrum costs and fragmented holdings have constrained sector growth.