1LINK Board of Directors has been formally reconstituted, bringing together some of Pakistan’s most senior banking executives to steer the country’s largest payment switch into its next growth phase. The change was confirmed at the company’s first board meeting on July 31, 2026, in Karachi.
1LINK Board of Directors: A New Chapter Begins
The 1LINK Board of Directors met for the first time under its new composition on Friday, July 31, 2026, at the company’s Karachi headquarters. The session set the tone for governance priorities heading into the next phase of growth.
1LINK, Pakistan’s first fully licensed and designated Payment System Operator, used the meeting to lay institutional foundations.
Company officials described it as reaffirming commitment to strong governance, strategic leadership, and long-term contribution to digital payments infrastructure nationwide.
Key Facts About the New 1LINK Board of Directors
Here are the essential details confirmed so far:
- Date of first board meeting: July 31, 2026
- Location: Karachi
- Chairman: Atif Bajwa, President & CEO, Bank Alfalah Limited
- Employees briefed: Over 450 staff attended a special Town Hall following the meeting
- Board size: Ten seats, including nominee, independent, and executive directors
Beyond the numbers, the reshuffle signals a deliberate push toward stronger board-level oversight. Several appointees hold sitting CEO or CFO roles at major commercial banks, giving the switch operator direct access to top-tier strategic thinking.
Complete List of 1LINK Board of Directors Members
The table below lists every confirmed member of the reconstituted board along with their primary institutional role.
| # | Name | Position | Role at 1LINK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atif Bajwa | President & CEO, Bank Alfalah | Chairman |
| 2 | Nassir Salim | President & CEO, Habib Bank Limited | Nominee Director |
| 3 | Yousaf Hussain | President & CEO, Faysal Bank | Nominee Director |
| 4 | Mujahid Ali | Chief Technology & Digital Transformation, Allied Bank | Nominee Director |
| 5 | Abdul Wahid Sethi | CFO, National Bank of Pakistan | Nominee Director |
| 6 | Ali Naqvi | Chief Digital Officer, Askari Bank | Nominee Director |
| 7 | Ammara Masood | Global GM–Banking & Financial Services, Systems Limited | Independent Director |
| 8 | Tania Aidrus | CEO, Waseela Global | Independent Director |
| 9 | — | Independent Director seat | To be decided |
| 10 | Najeeb Agrawalla | CEO, 1LINK | Executive/CEO |
This mix of nominee directors from founder banks and independent directors from fintech and technology backgrounds is unusual for 1LINK’s traditionally bank-only board structure.
What Is 1LINK and Why It Matters
1LINK is Pakistan’s largest interbank switch, owned by a consortium of major commercial banks and regulated by the State Bank of Pakistan. It processes ATM, card, and interbank transactions across the country.
The company launched PayPak, Pakistan’s first domestic payment scheme, and continues to underpin services banks and fintechs rely on daily. Its designation as a licensed Payment System Operator makes board decisions here directly relevant to national financial infrastructure.
Atif Bajwa’s Chairmanship and Leadership Vision
As newly appointed Chairman, Atif Bajwa addressed 1LINK’s workforce directly during the post-meeting Town Hall. He emphasized leadership, collaboration, and innovation as pillars guiding the board’s collective vision going forward.
Bajwa brings decades of commercial banking leadership from Bank Alfalah to the role. His appointment places one of Pakistan’s most recognized banking chief executives at the helm of the country’s core payments infrastructure company.
Independent Directors Bring Fintech and Governance Expertise
Two independent directors stand out for bringing perspectives beyond traditional commercial banking. Tania Aidrus, CEO of Waseela Global and formerly associated with Pakistan’s Digital Pakistan initiative, adds fintech and policy experience.
Ammara Masood, who leads banking and financial services globally at Systems Limited, contributes enterprise technology insight. One independent seat remains unfilled, suggesting the board composition may still evolve in coming months.
Implications for Pakistan’s Digital Payments Landscape
A board stacked with sitting bank CEOs signals tighter alignment between 1LINK’s strategic direction and the priorities of the eleven founder banks that collectively own the switch. Decisions here ripple across the ecosystem.
For fintechs, aggregators, and everyday digital-payment users, stronger governance at 1LINK could translate into faster infrastructure upgrades, better fraud oversight, and more coordinated rollout of services like instant payments and bill aggregation.
What Comes Next for 1LINK’s Board of Directors
CEO Najeeb Agrawalla welcomed the new directors and expressed confidence in their strategic guidance as the company works to strengthen national payments infrastructure. One independent director seat still needs to be finalized.
Analysts tracking Pakistan’s fintech sector will watch whether this leadership refresh accelerates initiatives already underway including expanded interoperability, cybersecurity investment, and deeper integration with the State Bank’s broader digital payments push.
