Bank Alfalah exits Afghanistan after 21 years, transfers operations to Ghazanfar Bank

Bank Alfalah completed the transfer of its Kabul and Herat banking operations to Afghanistan’s Ghazanfar Bank on November 5, 2026, ending its presence in the country after 21 years. Profit by Pakistan Today reported that the deal included the branches’ related assets and liabilities, and received the required approvals from the State Bank of Pakistan and Da Afghanistan Bank.

The Pakistani bank will now arrange the formal closure of its remaining Afghan branches under local regulatory requirements. Bank Alfalah began operating in Afghanistan in 2005, first opening a Kabul branch before expanding to Herat, where it offered conventional and Islamic banking services. The divestment process started in December 2025, after the bank’s board accepted Ghazanfar Bank’s preliminary offer; in-principle approvals for due diligence followed in January 2026.