Founded in 1939 by the Habib Family, HBL became Pakistan’s 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 nationalized the bank in 1974 and privatized it in 2003; at that time the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development acquired a controlling share.
HBL major shareholding lies with the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED) which is based in Geneva, Switzerland.
As of 2018, HBL has 1700+ branches with a presence in over 25 countries spanning across four continents. It is the largest company in Pakistan in terms of assets, and has repeatedly ranked top Pakistani company in the Forbes Global 2000. It is also Pakistan’s largest commercial bank, with over 1,700 branches.