Pakistan’s Al-Falah Bank to Exit Afghanistan, Ghazanfar Bank to Acquire Branches

DID Press: Al-Falah Bank, one of Pakistan’s largest private banks, has announced it will cease operations in Afghanistan and has accepted a proposal from Ghazanfar Bank to acquire its Afghan branches.

The move marks the first step in a complex, multi-stage process. Al-Falah Bank stated in an official notice to the Pakistan Stock Exchange that the decision does not finalize the deal, but initiates negotiations for transferring its operations.

As part of the process, Ghazanfar Bank will conduct detailed assessments of Al-Falah Bank’s Afghan business before final agreements are signed. Both the State Bank of Pakistan and the Central Bank of Afghanistan have provided preliminary approvals for the transfer process.

Al-Falah Bank has operated in Afghanistan since 2005, maintaining branches in Kabul and Herat. Previous attempts to sell its branches—such as the 2019 proposal to Azizi Bank—failed after Afghan regulatory rejection.