Habib Bank Limited (Urdu: حبیب بینک) commonly known as HBL, is a Pakistani commercial bank based at Habib Bank Plaza, Karachi, Pakistan.
Established in 1941 by the Habib Family, HBL is Pakistan's oldest, largest and the first commercial bank. In 1951, it opened its first international branch in Colombo, Sri Lanka. In 1972, the bank moved its headquarters to the Habib Bank Plaza, which became the tallest building in South Asia at the time. The Government nationalised the bank in 1974 and privatised it in 2004; at that time, the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development acquired a controlling share and management control.[4]
HBL significant shareholding lies with the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED) which is based in Geneva, Switzerland.[5]
HBL is the largest domestic multinational company in Pakistan in terms of assets, and has repeatedly ranked as the top Pakistani company in the Forbes Global 2000.[6][7] It is also Pakistan’s largest private sector bank, with over 1,700 branches and more than 2,000 ATMs. All HBL ATMs are linked to Visa and Mastercard, China UnionPay, and to the domestic 1LINK, MNET, and PayPak switches. IBFT (Interbank Funds Transfer) facility and utility bill payment capability are also provided at HBL ATMs. HBL branches also exchange foreign currency, initiate SWIFT and FEDWIRE transfers, and facilitate RAAST real-time money transfer transactions.[8]
