Mirpur (ajk): Malik Muhammad Babar Ayyaz has assumed charge as president and chief executive officer of the state-owned Bank of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (BAJK), the bank said in a statement on Thursday.
Ayyaz brings more than 27 years of experience in Pakistan’s banking sector, with expertise spanning corporate and commercial banking, Islamic banking, small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) finance, strategic planning, business transformation and institutional leadership.
Before joining BAJK, he spent nearly 17 years at The Bank of Punjab, where he held several senior leadership positions after earlier serving at private banks.
According to the statement, he played a key role in restructuring the bank’s corporate and investment banking operations and helped establish and expand its SME and commercial banking businesses.
Ayyaz holds an Executive MBA from Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), graduating with distinction and earning a place on the Dean’s Honour Roll.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Chief Secretary, Azad Jammu and Kashmir government and BAJK Chairman Khushkal Khan welcomed the appointment, describing Ayyaz as an experienced banking professional with expertise in priority-sector lending.
He said the bank was expected to strengthen its role in financial inclusion, SME development and institutional growth, while advancing its long-term objective of securing a nationwide commercial banking licence.