The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) announced the launch of “Cyber Shield – the Cyber Resilience Strategy for Regulated Entities” in a February 16, 2026 press release, setting a roadmap to bolster banks’ cyber defenses and governance, encourage information-sharing, build cyber talent, and update security practices. The Pakistan Banks’ Association (PBA) and SBP ran the country’s first industry-wide cyber drill from January 12-19, 2026, involving 34 financial institutions, the PBA reports. On May 3, 2026, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb chaired a virtual meeting with bank CEOs and CISOs and, according to the Finance Division as reported by Arab News, warned of rising AI-driven threats targeting digital banking channels. Business Recorder reports the SBP strategy includes milestones to be implemented in phases through 2030 and requires regulated entities to align their internal cybersecurity programmes with the framework.