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Meezan Bank Limited has received the approval of its Shariah Supervisory Board (SSB) for the concept for the air-time based Sukuks which will be issued in Pakistan. Furthermore, detailed guidelines for Islamic banks involved in sharing of security with other banks for long-term Islamic projects and structured financing have been approved. The resolution was made at the 19th meeting of the SSB of Meezan Bank at Darul Uloom Korangi, Karachi. There, a summary of Meezan Bank's Shariah audit was presented to the SSB.

Al Baraka Islamic Bank announced the introduction of new Islamic financial products. Furthermore, it will open several new branches in Pakistan with the purpose to facilitate the consumers of Islamic products. According to Adnan Ahmad Yousaf - president and CEO of Al Baraka Islamic Bank - Islamic banking is a modern alternative way of banking today and continuously attracts funds. Its aim is to generate economic activity and to spread money throughout society.

Until now, rules and procedures Islamic Banking Institutions (IBIs) in Pakistan have been following were too general and occasionally not sufficiently specific. In fact, they were not much different from the conventional banking in terms of rate of return on deposits. However, on 19th November a landmark was set by the issuance of detailed instructions by the State Bank.

The instructions will serve to improve transparency and disclosures and bring standardisation in the IBIs' profit and loss distribution policies and practices. As the instructions determine, each pool of deposits established by IBIs would play the role of a virtual enterprise. It will have explicitly demarcated sources of funds, ownership of specific assets and income and expenses.

According to the Managing Director if Bank of Khyber (BoK) - Bilal Mustafa - the bank is committed to cater the banking requirements of all segments of society. He further added that, for the purpose of encouraging the economic developmental activities in the region, the bank is providing Islamic as well as conventional banking & financial requirements. Bilal Mustafa made a statement at the formal inauguration of BoK Raast Islamic Banking branch at Main Bazzar Topi District Swabi. Other notable people in the areas of Islamic banking and the business community attended the inauguration ceremony. Some of the bank's plans revealed at the event are increasing branch net-work by establishing more branches by December 2012 as well as further enhancement next year.

The Islamic banking industry has been expecting the issuance of a standardised framework concerning the distribution of profit and pool management mechanism for the Islamic banking institutions. This framework is necessary for the procedure of financial reporting and general disclosure could be streamlined. According to a report by The State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) authorities, the bank has developed a comprehensive profit distribution and pool management framework. The development was conducted with consultation with the industry so that transparency could be increased and standardisation could be brought to the Islamic banking institutions’ practices in terms of profit distribution and pool management.

The second National Islamic Microfinance Conference, which was jointly organized by the State Bank of Pakistan, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) and Farz Foundation, was recently held. At the conference, it was discussed that it was necessary for State Bank of Pakistan to develop a new policy instrument to deal with the financial needs of the small businesses. It was further noted that skilled people in the Islamic micro-finance industry were needed. A suggestion was made for Wafaqul-Madaris to introduce Islamic microfinance as a subject in order to be of help in guiding the banks who are working in this sector after studying.

The half yearly results of Burj Bank Limited (Burj) for the period until the end of June 2012 were made public. The bank registered profit before tax as high as Rs 147 million. The announcement is a reflection of the bank's turnaround in terms of continuous earning for the first two quarters of this year. Furthermore, the growth of the total deposits is 57% reaching Rs 32 billion in the first half of the year. The profits are seen as remarkable progress, especially having in mind the significant challenges the bank has faced in the period.

Adnan Ahmad Yousif, CEO of Al-Baraka Bank, had a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Ch Parvez Elahi on Tuesday. At the meeting, high appreciation for the steps taken by noted religious scholar Mufti Taqi Usmani for interest free working in the banks was shown.

Read more on: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\10\31\story_31-10-2012_pg10_1

Conventional microfinance has proven ineffective in alleviating poverty. Islamic finance is suggested as a better alternative. Relevant to the World Poverty Day, a seminar concerning the global issues of poverty and its solutions was held in Lahore. The event was organised by AlHuda Centre of Islamic Banking and Economics. Participants came from different financial areas such as Microfinance, Islamic Microfinance and the Banking sector. Leading topics of the seminar were issues related to poverty, current situation of poverty, socio-economic issues due to poverty and the strategies for the solution.

Read more on: http://www.cpifinancial.net/news/post/16341/islamic-microfinance-good-al...

In Lahore, a seminar for the worldwide poverty day is organised. Global topics around the issue of poverty and its solution possibilities were discussed. Experts from microfinance, Islamic microfinance and the banking sector took part.

Read more on: http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/bu...

Turkey is well on its way to become the next hub for Islamic banking and finance. It only needs its government to show its commitment to Islamic finance so that other participants in the industry join Turkey in building a vibrant Islamic banking and finance industry. The recent successful $1.5 billion sovereign Sukuk issue denominated in dollar as well as the lira-denominated $900 million sovereign Sukuk have lead the county's way to the global platform of Islamic banking and finance. Since Pakistan has the most Shariah authentic model of Islamic banking, a Turkey-Pakistan alliance will contribute to the promotion of Islamic banking in Turkey, and, furthermore, it is expected to bring a new juristic approach to product development and structuring.

Read more on: http://tribune.com.pk/story/451643/rising-partner-a-turkey-pakistan-alli...

Bank Burj's results for the first half of 2012 (until June 30th) are out. The bank registeres a profit before tax as high as Rs147 million. The results are a reflection of a turnaround of Burj Bank which caused continuous earning for the first two quarters of the year. The growth of the bank's total deposits lies at 57% reaching Rs 32b for the period. In spite of political and economical problems, the bank demonstrated excellent half yearly performance.

Read more on: http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/bu...

According to an announcement, Al Ansari Exchange and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will sign a partnership of $10 million (Dh36.72 million). The partnership aims to support two significant health issues: polio eradication and treatment and prevention of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). The agreement will start with an initial co-funded contribution of $4 million in support of polio eradication activities in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Prevention and treatment of NTDs in sub-Saharan Africa is planned as well. The partnership initiatives shall represent focused, strategic philanthropy and have a strong positive effect on the life of people in the poorest countries.

Read more on: http://www.zawya.com/story/UAE_firm_partners_Gates_Foundation_in_health_...

The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has drafted the Issuance of Sukuk Regulations which are now being published for public comment. The regulations focus on providing more comfort to the Sukuk investors and shall facilitate the issuance of Islamic bonds.

See more under: http://www.brecorder.com/money-a-banking/198/1244872/

The industry's first Islamic Euro Nostro Account has recently been launched by Standard Chartered Bank. It will allow Islamic banks across the world to earn profits on their account balances, respecting the general rules of Murabaha. Bank Alfalah Limited from Pakistan was the first bank which has signed an agreement with Standard Chartered Bank.

See more under: http://www.thenewstribe.com/2012/10/02/standard-chartered-bank-launches-...

IDB's president, Mohamed Ali, have urged for global solidarity in fight against polio. The bank is working on new financial package for the government of Pakistan that should help to finance polio eradicatoin activities in the country. IDB intends to provide similar grant to Afganistan that is same as Pakistan highly affected by this horrible disease.

See more under: http://www.arabnews.com/idb-joins-call-polio-eradication

In a recent announcement UBL Fund Managersstated that it will launch its new Shariah-compliant investment scheme. The scheme known under the name UBL Islamic Cash Fund is described as an Islamic Money Market Scheme with clients who have cash lying idle in a current account as a target group. Investing in UBL Islamic Cash Fund will enable customers to earn a competitive return which will be calculated and announced on a daily basis.

More on: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\09\19\story_19-9-2012_pg10_3

The Deputy Governor of State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) - Kazi Abdul Muktadir - announced that the bank is working on a new five-year (2013-17) strategic plan for Islamic banking industry. This plan shall define an overall direction for the Islamic banking industry. According to Mr. Muktadir, an increase in Islamic finance's share in the banking system is very likely and can reach up to 15% in the five years to follow.

Bank of Khyber (BoK), the new Raast Islamic Banking Branch at Mingora was formally inaugurated by Engr Humayun Khan on Friday. At the ceremony, Engr Humayun Khan expressed his appreciation of the vital role of BoK in province's socio-economic uplifts activities. Furthermore, he said that the government extended its full support to BoK. He also pointed out the bank's importance for the implementation of the self-employments schemes of the provincial government in order to reduce the unemployment among youths.

A team from Bankable Frontier Associates started a project to study the effect of interoperability in retail payments on the outcome of financial inclusion in Pakistan. The target they set was 100 million Pakistanis to be financially included electronically by 2020. Now the final report is ready and available for the public. Specific ideas for the Pakistani market are provided in the report. These are intended to be implemented in workshops with Pakistan industry. Moreover, the report stresses on the importance of interoperability and the reasons for that as wel as on how people should think about it from a policy and market development perspective and how it should be measured.