World

A Closer Look at Qi Card’s Range of Financial Services

Published

11 months ago

August 5, 2024

Since starting in 2007, Qi Card has become a significant player in Iraq’s financial services. The Iraqi Electronic Payment Systems and Rafidain Bank founded Qi Card, which has changed how financial services operate in Iraq. It offers a variety of services that have impacted the financial industry.

Biometric ID Cards: Enhancing Security

Qi Card introduced biometric ID cards, setting a new standard for secure transactions in Iraq. These cards use fingerprint-based authentication, which helps prevent fraud and identity theft. Users can access their funds and complete transactions safely and efficiently.

Qi Card’s biometric ID cards have transformed financial inclusion in Iraq. As of 2024, Qi Card serves over twelve million clients, including government employees, pensioners, and private sector workers. Bahaa Abdul Hadi, the founder of Qi Card, said, “Our biometric technology has improved security and enhanced the user experience, making financial services accessible to more Iraqis.”

Comprehensive Mobile Application: Qi Services

Qi Card’s mobile application, Qi Services, is vital to its offerings. The app allows users to check balances, transfer money, and accept payments—all from their smartphones. This easy-to-use platform helps customers manage their finances effortlessly.

One standout feature of the Qi Services app is its integration with Western Union. This partnership makes it easy for users to send money internationally, which is essential for the Iraqi diaspora, as it allows them to send money home quickly and securely.

Salary Distribution and Loan Disbursement

Qi Card is crucial for distributing salaries to government and private sector employees. This service guarantees that employers pay wages on time and securely, reducing the administrative burden on employers and providing employees with a reliable way to receive their pay.

Since 2018, Qi Card has disbursed over $4 billion in loans to more than 800,000 citizens. These loans support small businesses and individuals, contributing to economic growth. The use of multi-biometric identification makes sure that these loan disbursements are secure and accessible.

Strategic Partnerships: Expanding Reach and Capabilities

Qi Card has formed strategic alliances to enhance its service offerings. Its partnership with Asiacell and Digital Zone aims to streamline digital transactions and promote financial inclusion in Iraq. These collaborations combine the strengths of each partner to offer more comprehensive services to users.

In a significant move, Qi Card launched the ‘superQi’ app in partnership with Alipay. This app integrates various financial services, including e-commerce capabilities, making it a one-stop solution for users. Bahaa Abdul Hadi noted, “The ‘superQi’ app marks a significant leap in providing comprehensive, advanced financial services to our users, setting a new standard in the region.”

Commitment to Financial Inclusion

A key goal of Qi Card is to enhance financial inclusion. It provides access to financial services to previously underserved populations, including displaced migrants. Qi Card is filling critical gaps in the financial system, making sure that more Iraqis can participate in the formal economy, and promoting broader economic growth.

Qi Card continues to innovate with products like travel card and credit facilities, which cater to the diverse needs of Iraq’s population and provide tailored solutions that enhance financial accessibility and convenience.

Future Prospects and Industry Impact

Iraq’s fintech sector is expected to grow significantly, with an estimated annual growth rate of 20% for 2024-2025. Qi Card is well-prepared to lead this growth with its strong technological foundation and strategic partnerships. The company’s innovative solutions and comprehensive services will likely attract more users.

While Qi Card has achieved considerable success, challenges remain. Regulatory changes and technological advancements, such as blockchain and AI, present both risks and opportunities. Qi Card’s ability to adapt and innovate will be crucial in navigating these changes and maintaining its leadership in the market.

Qi Card’s range of financial services highlights the company’s innovative spirit and dedication to enhancing financial inclusion in Iraq. Through advanced biometric technology, a comprehensive mobile application, strategic partnerships, and a focus on underserved populations, Qi Card is transforming the financial terrain in Iraq.

As the company continues to grow and evolve, its impact on Iraq’s economy and the global fintech industry will be significant.

World

TRG Chairman Khaishgi and CEO Aslam implicated in $150 million fraud

Published

2 weeks ago

June 23, 2025

Jenny Jackson

In a scathing 52-page decision, the Sindh High Court has found that TRG Pakistan’s management was acting fraudulently and that Bermuda-based Greentree Holdings historic and prospective purchase of TRG shares were illegal, fraudulent and oppressive.

The Sindh High Court has further directed TRGP to immediately hold board elections that have been overdue and illegally withheld by the existing board since January 14, 2025.

In the landmark ruling, the Sindh High Court has blocked the attempted takeover of TRG Pakistan Limited by Greentree Holdings, declaring that the shares acquired by Greentree, nearly 30% of TRG’s stock, were unlawfully financed using TRG’s funds in violation of Section 86(2) of the Companies Act 2017.

“Having concluded that the affairs of TRGP are being conducted in an unlawful and fraudulent manner and in a manner oppressive to members such as the Petitioner (Zia Chishti), the case falls for corrective orders under sub-section (2) of section 286 of the Companies Act,” Justice Adnan Iqbal Chaudhry concluded.

The case was brought by TRGP former CEO and founder Pakistani-American technology entrepreneur Zia Chishti against TRG Pakistan, its associate TRG International and TRG International’s wholly-owned shell company Greentree Limited. In addition, the case named AKD Securities for managing Greentree’s illegal tender offer as well as various regulators requiring that they act to perform their regulatory duties.

The case centred around the dispute that shell company Greentree Limited was fraudulently using TRG Pakistan’s own funds to purchase TRG Pakistan’s shares in order to give control to Zia Chishti’s former partners Mohammed Khaishgi, Hasnain Aslam and Pinebridge Investments.

According to the case facts, the Chairman of TRG Pakistan Mohammed Khaishgi and the CEO of TRG Pakistan Hasnain Aslam masterminded the $150 million fraud. They did so together with Hong Kong based fund manager Pinebridge who has two nominees on TRG Pakistan’s board, Mr. John Leone and Mr. Patrick McGinnis.

According to the court papers, Khaishgi, Aslam, Leone, and McGinnis set up a shell company called Greentree which they secretly controlled and from which they started buying up shares of TRG Pakistan. The fraud was that Greentree was using TRG Pakistan’s funds itself. The idea was to give Khaishgi, Aslam, Leone, and McGinnis control over TRG Pakistan even though they owned less than 1% of the company, lawyers of the petitioner told the court.

This was all part of a broader battle for control over TRG Pakistan that is raging between Khaishgi, Aslam, Leone, and McGinnis on one side and TRG Pakistan founder Zia Chishti on the other side. Zia Chishti has been trying to retake control of TRG Pakistan after he was forced to resign in 2021 based on sexual misconduct allegations made by a former employee of his. This year those allegations were shown to be without basis in litigation that Chishti launched in the United Kingdom against The Telegraph newspaper which had printed the allegations. The Telegraph was forced to apologize for 13 separate articles it published about Chishti and paid him damages and legal costs.

After Chishti resigned in 2021, Khaishgi, Aslam, Leone, and McGinnis moved to take total control over TRG Pakistan and its various subsidiaries including TRG International and to block out Chishti. The Sindh High Court’s ruling today has reversed that effort, ruling the scheme fraudulent, illegal, and oppressive.

It now appears that Zia Chishti will take control of TRG Pakistan in short order when elections are called. He and his family are now the largest shareholders with over 30% interest. He is closely followed by companies related to Jahangir Siddiqui & Company which have over a 20% interest. The result appears to be a complete vindication for Zia Chishti and damning for his rivals Aslam, Khaishgi, Leone, and McGinnis who have been ruled to have been conducting a fraud.

TRG Pakistan’s share price declined by over 8% on the news on heavy volume. Market experts say that this was because the tender offer at Rs 75 was gone and that now shares would trade closer to their natural value. Presently the shares are trading at Rs 59 per share.

According to the court ruling, since 2021, shell company Greentree had purchased approximately 30% of TRG shares using $80 million of TRG’s own money, which means that that the directors of TRG Pakistan allowed company assets to be funneled through offshore affiliates TRG International and Greentree for acquiring TRG’s shares – a move deemed both fraudulent and oppressive to minority shareholders. The Sindh High Court also found illegal Greentree’s further attempt to purchase another 35% of TRG shares using another $70 million of TRG’s money in a tender offer.

The ruling is a major victory for the tech entrepreneur Zia Chishti against his former partners and the legal ruling paves the way for him to take control of TRG in a few weeks.