DUSHANBE, March 25, 2012, Asia-Plus – On March 24, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari attended the inaugural ceremony of the branch of the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) in Dushanbe.
Pakistan News Watch reported on March 25 that the two presidents inspected various sections of the bank.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Zardari reportedly underlined the need for the two countries to enhance trade and economic relations through increased cooperation in areas like banking, energy and tourism. He praised the Tajik government and the National Bank of Tajikistan (NBT) for their help in setting up the NBP branch in Dushanbe.
He expressed the hope that branch of a Pakistani bank in the Tajik capital would serve to bring the two countries closer, Pakistan News Watch reported. Mr. Zardari said that trade between the two countries had increased sharply over the last three years but there was still a lot of room for growth. The two sides, he said, were working on removing the impediments to better trade ties and also trying to solve the problems being faced by their businessmen. President Zardari thanked President Rahmon for joining him in opening the bank branch and said: “It is through such linkages that we can further cement our brotherly bonds.”
The National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) is one of the largest commercial bank operating in Pakistan. It has redefined its role and has moved from a public sector organization into a modern commercial bank. While it continues to act as trustee of public funds and as the agent to the State Bank of Pakistan (in places where SBP does not have a presence) it has diversified its business portfolio and is today a major lead player in the debt equity market, corporate investment banking, retail and consumer banking, agricultural financing, treasury services and is showing growing interest in promoting and developing the country”s small and medium enterprises and at the same time fulfilling its social responsibilities.
Founded in 1949, NBP, with headquarters in Karachi, now reportedly has over 1,200 branches country wide. The bank provides both commercial and public sector banking services.
