KARACHI: Habib Bank Ltd (HBL) has been nominated to chair the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Interbank Consortium (SCO IBC) for 2026-27, following the consortium’s annual council meeting held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on Thursday.
The SCO Interbank Consortium is a financial cooperation platform comprising banks and financial institutions from member states of the SCO, a regional grouping that includes Pakistan, China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and several other countries.
HBL joined the SCO IBC as a partner bank in 2014 and became a full member in 2018.The appointment comes ahead of Pakistan’s assumption of the chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of State in September 2026.
The SCO, established to promote cooperation among its member countries in areas including trade, investment, connectivity and security, represents one of the world’s largest regional organisations by geographic coverage and population.
In a statement, HBL Chairperson Sultan Ali Allana said the bank would work with member institutions to support financial cooperation and economic connectivity across SCO countries during its tenure as chair of the consortium.
The SCO IBC serves as a forum for collaboration among member banks and financial institutions, with a focus on facilitating trade, investment and development financing within the SCO region.
