ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the finance minister, Khurram Schehzad, has said that Pakistan’s Access to Inclusive Finance agenda is increasingly translating macroeconomic stability into investment, production, employment, and export-oriented growth.
In a statement on X on Thursday, Schehzad wrote, “The initiative was aimed not merely at increasing lending but at directing financing towards homes, farms, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), electric vehicles, exports, productive investment and new technologies.”
Housing finance
According to Schehzad, “Progress under the Apna Ghar initiative has become increasingly visible since June 2026.”
He said that applications had increased 84% to more than 46,000, while approved financing had nearly doubled to around Rs280 billion.
Loans disbursed under the program have risen 59% to more than 7,600, he said, adding that the financing was supporting home ownership as well as activity in construction, building materials, SMEs and employment.
The adviser said the number of agricultural borrowers had increased by about 115,000, to 3.37 million.
“Under Zarkhez-e, bank approvals have risen 12% to nearly 16,700, while loan disbursements have increased 13% to almost 5,000,” he added.
He further said that the initiative was expanding collateral-free financing for small and tenant farmers and supporting agricultural productivity, rural incomes and financial inclusion.
SME access to credit
The adviser said that around 330,000 SMEs are currently accessing approximately Rs1.05 trillion in formal financing.
He added that new credit-scoring models being introduced across 13 banks aim to move lending beyond traditional collateral-based requirements.
According to Schehzad, the approach is expected to broaden access to finance and enable businesses to invest, expand operations and scale up.
Khurram Schehzad went on to say that financing was increasingly being linked with working capital, long-term investment, export refinancing and performance-based incentives.
The objective, he said, was to enable businesses to expand production capacity, improve competitiveness and generate higher exports and foreign exchange earnings.
Green finance and electric vehicles
The adviser also highlighted progress under the PAVE initiative, noting that approvals had increased by 24% and loan disbursements by 34%.
He said electric vehicle deliveries had more than tripled, from 471 to over 1,500.
According to Schehzad, the expansion of green finance is helping improve access to cleaner mobility while supporting new industries, investment and economic activity.
Broader economic objective
Khurram Schehzad described the broader objective as moving capital toward productive activity and widening economic opportunities.
He outlined the intended chain as finance leading to investment, production, jobs, exports and ultimately sustainable growth.
The government’s focus, he said, was shifting from financial inclusion alone toward economic inclusion by empowering individuals, enabling businesses and building a stronger, more competitive and export-oriented Pakistan.