Our Story
Ihsan Trust (IT) was established in 2010 as an Independent Trust as per the guidance of Meezan Bank Limited’s Shariah Board, which recommended the creation of a dedicated Trust to serve underprivileged students pursuing Higher Education in Pakistan. At the time, while many non-profit organizations focused on primary and secondary education, there was a clear gap in financial assistance for students pursuing Higher Education. To address this, Ihsan Trust was created with a goal to efficiently distribute Meezan Bank's Charity Funds under a Waqf structure, ensuring that the Charity funds received from Meezan Bank’s customers are utilized effectively. Meezan Bank remains the biggest supporter of Ihsan Trust and has always facilitated its operations.
Building on this vision, Dr. Mufti Muhammad Imran Ashraf Usmani, President of Ihsan Trust and son of Justice (Retd.) Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani, played a key role in refining and bringing the idea to life. Dr. Mufti Muhammad Imran Ashraf Usmani, who is also a senior Shariah Board Member of Meezan Bank, leveraged his expertise in Islamic finance and introduced an Interest-Free Loan Facility with a unique repayment model in order to ensure that financial constraints would not prevent deserving students from accessing higher education.
Registered as a tax-exempt non-profit organization, Ihsan Trust has since evolved into an independent institution dedicated to transforming lives through education. It is duly certified by the Pakistan Centre of Philanthropy (PCP) and holds a Tax Exemption certificate under section 2(36) from the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Pakistan. Over the years, Ihsan Trust has supported 4,500+ students from 185+ universities and professional bodies across Pakistan, enabling them to pursue professional qualifications, secure stable careers, and uplift their families' standard of living. By investing in Higher Education, Ihsan Trust is not only shaping individual futures but also contributing to Pakistan's long-term socioeconomic development - one student at a time.
Our Philosophy
Ihsan Trust was named after a verse of Surah Rehman which means “is the reward for goodness, aught but goodness?” The philosophy behind establishing Ihsan Trust is focused on Ihsan which means goodness. We aim to establish such a model that is continuous in nature, so that the goodness received from it is also continuous. The roll over fund created through Interest-Free Loan is our interpretation of continuous goodness. The repayments received is reinvested to provide loans to more students in future.
Our Work
Interest-free Loan Facility for Higher Education
Every year thousands of students quit higher education due to their financial conditions coupled with hefty amount of university fees. Understanding that higher education is an essential part of growth for Pakistan, Ihsan Trust initiated interest-free education loan facility in 2010 with the vision to create a need-blind admission system in Pakistan so that no meritorious student is deprived of education based on his/her finances.
Ihsan Trust majorly works in the field of higher education by providing interest-free loans to students on purely “Need cum merit” basis. Interest-free loan facility is a unique model to enable higher education in Pakistan which not only help a student complete his/her education from a university of his/her choice, but also create a roll over fund that continuously helps more and more students every year across Pakistan.
This facility is being provided to all top-notch universities across Pakistan. So far, this facility has been provided to more than 130 universities and professional bodies across Pakistan and this number is rapidly increasing every year
The purpose of this initiative is to become a bridge between students and higher education during study period without burdening the students with hefty amount of tuition fees. The students are required to repay a token amount every month (always mutually agreed) even while studying and this amount is increased after graduation and employment resulting in the inculcation of sense of responsibility to repay the complete loan eventually in quickest possible time.
Our Educational Partners
Community Development
Ihsan Trust believes that to serve a nation, a holistic approach is important i.e. all the important social sectors must be served. It is this approach that enables Ihsan Trust to work in health, community development and disaster and relief sector in Pakistan. However, the kind of contribution in these sectors differs from that of education. Already having numerous non-profit organizations working in these sectors, Ihsan Trust help such NGOs to facilitate the low-income community of Pakistan by assisting them financially and in other ways.
Islamic Microfinance
Ihsan Trust has also made inroads in Islamic Microfinancing. Islamic Microfinancing is one of the most important tools to eradicate poverty from the society. In this connection, Ihsan Trust has joined hands with AKHUWAT and Wasil Foundation to provide Islamic Microfinancing to the poor and needy people of the society.
IBA Ihsan Trust National Talent Hunt Program (NTHP Program)
Ihsan Trust also supports Institute of Business Administration National Talent Hunt program. This program is targeted towards areas where students, even though very capable, do not have the opportunity, finances or access to study in top rated business school. Initially the program started as the opportunity, finances or access to study in top rated business school. Initially the program started as IBA NTHP, however due to Ihsan Trust’s continuous support to IBA, the program has now been named, “IBA Ihsan Trust NTHP.” From the final interview of the applicant, in his or her local region to the final induction and orientation, Ihsan Trust supports NTHP financially as well as operationally.