Tech Desk 
Jul 04, 2025
Alibaba logo seen in this illustration dated January 29, 2025. — Reuters
Pakistan is gearing up to enter into a partnership with Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba next week. This partnership will allow local sellers to access international markets through quicker digital trade and secure payments.
The announcement was made on Thursday at the 18th International Conference on Mobile Commerce 2025 in Karachi. Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) CEO Faiz Ahmed stated that it will address the "big issue" of making it easier for products from Pakistan to be found and sold in other countries.
"Think of a small shop in Skardu receiving a big order through Alibaba." he said. "Payment comes through Raast directly to a mobile wallet, and the same wallet pays a vendor in Karachi. No bank visits, no cash, no waiting." That's the future of digital trade in Pakistan."
Ahmad stated that payment systems like Raast are already in use and could make Pakistan's trade ecosystem faster, less expensive, and safer. The Ministry of Commerce and TDAP are completely on board with the project, seeing it as a "national need."
The experts at the conference also mentioned certain challenges. One of them, Faisal Mahmood of Karandaaz Pakistan, questioned whether the State Bank of Pakistan has sufficient ability to create a digital testing place or regulatory sandboxes for startups and banks to test new digital products and services under less stringent conditions.
Other speakers, like Ali Imran Khan of Meezan Bank and Hamayun Sajjad of Mashreq Pakistan, emphasised the importance of moving away from cash and developing alternatives such as open banking and digital wallets.
The event had panels on e-commerce payments, fintech innovation, and the development of digital financial services in Pakistan going forward.
