Podcasts · Thought Behind Things

478 | 40 Branches in 7 Cities But Do Pakistanis Take Loans Seriously? Ft. Arif Lakhani | TBT

29 Oct 2025 · 1 h 46 min · S5 E71

In this episode of Thought Behind Things, we’re joined by Arif Lakhani, Co-Founder of QistBazaar, Pakistan’s fastest-growing fintech platform making anything, from bikes to fridges, available on easy installments.

We explore:

• How QistBazaar gives access to credit without traditional banking • Why 90% of startup funding never enters Pakistan’s economy • Are easy installments driving consumerism and debt? • The rise of Pakistan’s emerging middle class and fintech revolution • IPO dreams, PSX’s broken perception, and what real innovation looks like

Socials:

TBT’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thoughtbehindthings/

TBT’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tbtbymuzamil

TBT’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thoughtbehindthings

TBT Clips: https://www.youtube.com/@tbtpodcastclips

Muzamil's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/muzamilhasan/

Muzamil's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/muzamilhasan/

Arif's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ariflakhani

Special thanks to Kickstart for providing us with the studio space.

You can find out more about them at: https://kickstart.pk/

Credits:

Executive Producer: Syed Muzamil Hasan Zaidi

Associate Producer: Saad Shehryar

Publisher: Talha Shaikh

Editor: Jawad Sajid

Links in the notes 8

• https://www.instagram.com/thoughtbehindthings/
• https://www.tiktok.com/@tbtbymuzamil
• https://www.facebook.com/thoughtbehindthings
• https://www.youtube.com/@tbtpodcastclips
• https://www.instagram.com/muzamilhasan/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/muzamilhasan/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/ariflakhani
• https://kickstart.pk/

The episode on the publisher’s site ↗ (opens in a new tab)