PEF, Karandaaz, NIBAF Pakistan, and Bank of Punjab Rollout Financial Literacy in Punjab Schools
Punjab Education Foundation (PEF), Karandaaz Pakistan, the National Institute of Banking and Finance (NIBAF) and the Bank of Punjab (BOP) have formalized a partnership through a signing ceremony to launch a joint initiative for delivering financial literacy as supplementary education across PEF schools in Punjab. This initiative aligns with the Pakistan’s National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS) and National Financial Education Roadmap (2025–2029), which envisions integrating financial literacy content in the National Curriculum by year 2028.
The initiative would impact financial literacy skills to over 100,000 students. Nearly 2,000 teachers will be trained to deliver weekly financial education sessions across 1,000 PEF schools in the pilot phase. The financial education will cover topics like earning, saving, budgeting, and digital banking. NIBAF will lead the on-ground rollout, alongside a short-term implementation monitoring phase to ensure delivery standards in schools.
Mr. Shahid Farid Managing Director, Punjab Education Foundation (PEF), said: “This partnership helps position our students for real-world success. Financial literacy is critical, and we are pleased to integrate it into PEF schools to equip students for life beyond the classroom.”
With institutional alignment, implementation partners in place, and a strong policy backdrop, this initiative is poised for broader adoption across provinces. PEF, Karandaaz, NIBAF, and BoP encourage ecosystem actors—including donors, public institutions, and civil society—to collaborate for scaling the efforts and embed financial literacy as a core component of education for all Pakistani students.
The ceremony was attended by Mr. Khalid Nazir Watoo, Secretary Schools Education; Malik Shoaib Awan, Chairman Punjab Education Foundation; Mr. Ali Raza, Chairman Punjab Education Initiatives Management Authority, Mr. Shahid Farid, Managing Director PEF; Mr. Shakeel Ahmad, Member of the Chief Minister's Advisory Committee on Education; from Karandaaz Pakistan: Mr. Sharjeel Murtaza, Chief Digital Officer, and Ms. Sana Bilal, Program Lead; from NIBAF Pakistan: Lubna Farooq Malik, Co-CEO; Sajid Ali, Director Learning and Development; Salman Shehzad, Project Director; and from the Bank of Punjab: Raza Bashir, Chief of Staff & Strategy, Group Head.
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