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

An episode of [Thought Behind Things](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1532974013), 29 Oct 2025, 1 h 46 min.

Audio: https://anchor.fm/s/36c5ffa4/podcast/play/110380226/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2025-9-29%2F410195002-44100-2-a43d6a8ed1947.mp3

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

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