Bank Alfalah Exits Afghanistan After 20 Years, Completes Sale to Ghazanfar Bank

Bank Alfalah Limited (BAFL) has finished selling its Afghanistan business to Ghazanfar Bank. This closes 20 years of banking in the country for the Pakistani lender.

BAFL told the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Friday that the deal was completed on November 5, 2026. The sale went ahead after the State Bank of Pakistan and Da Afghanistan Bank gave their approval.

BAFL’s Kabul and Herat branches, along with their assets and liabilities, now belong to Ghazanfar Bank. BAFL said it has stopped its banking work in Afghanistan. It will shut down its branches there following local rules.

Bank Alfalah first opened in Afghanistan in 2005, starting with a branch in Kabul. It later added a branch in Herat. The bank offered both regular and Islamic banking there.