Pakistan is set to partner with Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba next week in an effort to promote the country’s exports globally. The collaboration will focus on developing Pakistan’s digital supply chain by utilising secure and real-time digital payment solutions such as Raast, Pakistan’s instant payment system.

At the 18th International Conference on ‘Mobile Commerce 2025’, Faiz Ahmad, CEO of the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), confirmed the partnership, calling it a major step in transforming the way Pakistani products are sold and moved across borders. 

He highlighted Alibaba’s role as one of the two leading global e-commerce platforms, alongside Amazon, and emphasized the importance of creating a unified digital supply chain ecosystem backed by real-time payment solutions.

Ahmad shared an example of how digital commerce will work in practice: “Imagine a small business in Skardu receiving a bulk order from Alibaba. Payment would be made instantly to their mobile wallet via Raast, which can also be used to pay suppliers in Karachi.” 

He further explained that the process is seamless and efficient, removing traditional barriers like banks and cash transactions.

He emphasised that TDAP and the Ministry of Commerce are fully committed to driving this digital transformation as part of Pakistan’s national development strategy.

Faisal Mahmood, Head of Digital Public Infrastructure at Karandaaz Pakistan, raised concerns about the capacity of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to support pilot projects under its sandbox initiative. He questioned whether sufficient resources were available to adequately support these digital initiatives.

The SBP launched its sandbox guidelines in May 2025, inviting banks, fintech companies, and startups to test their digital solutions in a controlled regulatory environment.

The conference included panel discussions on regulatory sandboxes, open banking, e-commerce technologies, and the rise of digital wallets in Pakistan.