# Asaan Karobar Card and Asaan Karobar Finance: limits, eligibility and how to apply

URL: https://which.pk/money/guides/asaan-karobar-card/
Author: Ahtisham
Updated: 18 Oct 2026

## Summary

The CM Punjab Asaan Karobar Card lends up to Rs 1 million (Rs 10 lakh) at 0% markup to people aged 21 to 57 with a business in Punjab, repaid in 33 monthly instalments after a 3-month grace period. Fees: Rs 500 processing plus an annual card fee PSIC prints as Rs 25,000 plus FED. Asaan Karobar Finance is the bigger loan: Rs 1 to 30 million at 0% for ages 25 to 55, with an NTN. Both are listed as ongoing; we couldn't confirm applications are open.

## Key facts

- Card limit: Up to Rs 10 lakh
- Markup: 0%
- Repay: 33 instalments, 3 years
- Age: 21 to 57

The CM Punjab Asaan Karobar Card is an **interest-free loan of up to Rs 10 lakh** (Rs 1 million) on a digital card, for anyone aged **21 to 57** with an existing or planned business in Punjab. You repay it in **33 monthly instalments** after a 3-month grace period, and pay a Rs 500 processing fee plus an annual card fee. The loan is made through the Bank of Punjab. Terms are from the Punjab Small Industries Corporation (PSIC), as of October 2026.

**Check the scheme is open before you pay anything:** PSIC lists the card and Asaan Karobar Finance as "Ongoing" as of 18 Oct 2026. We couldn't open the application portal, akc.punjab.gov.pk: it refused our connections, and its archived copy showed only a firewall page. We found no official last date and no 2026 announcement of a new application window. Call the toll-free helpline 1786 before you apply.

## What does the Asaan Karobar Card give you?

| Feature | Asaan Karobar Card |
|---|---|
| Loan amount | Up to Rs 1 million |
| Markup for you | 0% |
| Collateral | None (a clean loan) |
| Tenure | 3 years, including a 3-month grace period |
| Repayment | 33 monthly instalments after the grace period |
| Processing fee | Rs 500 |
| Annual card fee | "Rs. 25000 + FED", as printed by PSIC |
| Lender | Bank of Punjab |

The 0% is not free money for the government. Punjab pays the Bank of Punjab **6-month KIBOR plus 2.40%** a year on your behalf. PSIC says the scheme aims to support 100,000+ small businesses with Rs 48 billion of loans, on a subsidy budget of Rs 8.5 billion.

**Annual card fee, as printed by PSIC:** Rs. 25000 + FED (From PSIC's scheme page, read 18 Oct 2026. FED is federal excise duty. Confirm the fee with the Bank of Punjab before you apply.)

## Who is eligible for the Asaan Karobar Card?

PSIC sets these conditions:

- age **21 to 57**
- a Pakistani national living in Punjab, as shown on your **CNIC**
- an existing or planned business **located in Punjab**
- a valid CNIC matching NADRA's record
- a **mobile number registered in your own name**

PSIC's card page doesn't ask for an NTN (National Tax Number) or a minimum income. Asaan Karobar Finance does need an NTN (see below).

## Can you withdraw cash from the Asaan Karobar Card?

Only part of it. PSIC says spending goes through **digital channels**, the mobile app and card machines (POS), and limits cash so the loan isn't diverted from the business. Dunya News reported at the January 2025 launch that up to **25% of the loan** can be withdrawn as cash. The rest pays suppliers for raw material, government fees, taxes and utility bills.

Blogs describe more rules, such as cash only after six months or half the limit released first. We couldn't find these on an official page, so ask the Bank of Punjab.

## How do you apply for the Asaan Karobar Card?

Applications opened online on the launch day in January 2025, with the helpline 1786 for questions (The News). Because we couldn't open the portal, the steps below come from PSIC's scheme terms and news reports, not from the portal itself.

## Asaan Karobar Card or Asaan Karobar Finance?

Asaan Karobar Finance is the larger loan in the same Punjab programme, also lent through the Bank of Punjab at 0% markup for you.

| | Asaan Karobar Card | Asaan Karobar Finance |
|---|---|---|
| Amount | Up to Rs 1 million | Rs 1 to 30 million |
| Age | 21 to 57 | 25 to 55 |
| Tax number | Not listed | Valid NTN required |
| Collateral | None | None for Tier 1 (Rs 1 to 5 million); secured for Tier 2 (Rs 5 to 30 million) |
| Tenure | 3 years | Up to 5 years |
| Grace period | 3 months | 6 months (new business), 3 months (existing) |
| Processing fee | Rs 500 | Rs 5,000 (Tier 1), Rs 10,000 (Tier 2) |
| Your equity | None listed | None in Tier 1; 20% in Tier 2 (10% for women, transgender and differently-abled applicants) |

Finance pays for a new business, machinery (BMR), expansion, working capital, cleaner production technology or leasing commercial vehicles. You need a clean record in your [ECIB credit report](/money/guides/ecib-credit-report-pakistan/). For working capital, expansion and BMR loans, the premises must be owned or rented in your or the business's name.

Phase 2 of Asaan Karobar Finance offers **Rs 30 million to Rs 50 million** through four special schemes, Punjab's industries minister, Chaudhry Shafay Hussain, said on 3 Jan 2026 (APP). PSIC's page still shows only the phase 1 tiers.

## How many people have got the loans?

- **February 2025:** 185,000 applications for the card and 71,000 for Finance (APP).
- **April 2025:** more than 80,000 applications approved and loans to 34,000 entrepreneurs. The Chief Minister ordered the procedure simplified (The Nation).
- **January 2026:** Rs 70 billion of interest-free loans to **108,371 businesses** across both schemes in about six months (APP).

## Is the Asaan Karobar Card a good deal?

On cost, yes: you pay no markup. The real cost is the fees: Rs 500 to apply plus the annual card fee PSIC prints as Rs 25,000 plus FED. On a Rs 1 million card used for three years, that fee is the main charge, so confirm it before you sign.

Outside Punjab, or if you're 45 or younger, compare the federal [PM Youth loan scheme](/money/guides/pm-youth-loan-scheme/), which lends up to Rs 7.5 million at 0% to 7%. For smaller amounts, see the interest-free [Akhuwat loan](/money/guides/akhuwat-loan/). Our [business loan comparison](/money/guides/business-loan-pakistan/) puts all of them next to bank SME loans.

**More guides:** [Loans](/money/loans/) · [Business loans compared](/money/guides/business-loan-pakistan/) · [Akhuwat loan](/money/guides/akhuwat-loan/) · [PM Youth loan](/money/guides/pm-youth-loan-scheme/) · [Kissan Card Punjab](/money/guides/kissan-card-punjab/) · [Business bank accounts](/money/guides/business-bank-account-pakistan/)

## Questions people ask

### What is the last date to apply for the Asaan Karobar Card?

We found no official last date. PSIC lists the card as an ongoing 3-year scheme as of October 2026, but we couldn't open the application portal to confirm it is taking new applications.

### How much loan does the Asaan Karobar Card give?

Up to Rs 1 million (Rs 10 lakh), interest-free. You repay it in 33 monthly instalments after a 3-month grace period.

### Can I withdraw cash from the Asaan Karobar Card?

Partly. The card is meant for business spending through the mobile app and card machines. Dunya News reported at launch that up to 25% of the loan can be drawn as cash.

### What is the difference between the Asaan Karobar Card and Asaan Karobar Finance?

The card lends up to Rs 1 million on a digital card to people aged 21 to 57. Asaan Karobar Finance is a bank loan of Rs 1 to 30 million for ages 25 to 55; it needs an NTN and is secured above Rs 5 million.

### What is the Asaan Karobar helpline number?

The Punjab government set up a toll-free helpline, 1786, for the schemes when they launched in January 2025. PSIC's head office in Lahore is on 042-992000439.

## Sources

- [CM Punjab Asaan Karobar Card](https://psic.punjab.gov.pk/node/177), Punjab Small Industries Corporation (accessed 18 Oct 2026)
- [CM Punjab Asaan Karobar Finance](https://psic.punjab.gov.pk/node/178), Punjab Small Industries Corporation (accessed 18 Oct 2026)
- [Punjab launches Asan Karobar Scheme (22 Jan 2025)](https://dunyanews.tv/en/Business/863684-punjab-launches-asan-karobar-scheme), Dunya News (accessed 18 Oct 2026)
- [Maryam introduces Asaan Karobar Finance Scheme (17 Jan 2025)](https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1273159-maryam-introduces-asaan-karobar-finance-scheme), The News (accessed 18 Oct 2026)
- [CM Maryam directs BoP to issue maximum loans under Asaan Karobar scheme (17 Feb 2025)](https://www.app.com.pk/domestic/cm-maryam-directs-bop-to-issue-maximum-loans-under-asaan-karobar-scheme/), Associated Press of Pakistan (accessed 18 Oct 2026)
- [CM Maryam orders easing of Asaan Karobar scheme (11 Apr 2025)](https://www.nation.com.pk/11-Apr-2025/cm-maryam-orders-easing-of-asaan-karobar-scheme-emphasises-granting-need-based-business-loans), The Nation (accessed 18 Oct 2026)
- [Ch. Shafay reviews CM Asaan Karobar scheme phase-II (3 Jan 2026)](https://www.app.com.pk/domestic/ch-shafay-reviews-cm-asaan-karobar-scheme-phase-ii/), Associated Press of Pakistan (accessed 18 Oct 2026)