ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was informed on Tuesday that a staggering 127 million people across the country are now reaping the benefits of digital banking, marking a significant leap in the financial modernisation.
This revelation came during a high-level review meeting on advancing a cashless economy, chaired by the prime minister.
In a briefing to the prime minister, the officials highlighted that between July 2025 and January 2026, a staggering Rs1.6 trillion in payments were processed through RAAST, the digital payment platform, by both federal and provincial governments.
The prime minister directed all government departments to include QR codes on bills related to services provided to citizens.
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He also commended the economic team and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) for successfully transitioning federal and provincial government payments, including salaries, pensions, and vendor payments, to the RAAST system.
PM Sharif further praised the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) for reaching 71percent of its target recipients under the Prime Minister’s Ramadan Relief Package.
The meeting was informed that last year, only 24 percent of financial aid was disbursed by the 12th day of Ramadan, but this year, thanks to the prime minister’s directives, over 71 percent of payments have been made on time.
The meeting saw comprehensive briefings from officials representing the Ministry of Finance, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), BISP, the Ministry of Information Technology, and other key agencies.
They shared updates on the government’s ongoing initiatives to boost digital payments, including the upcoming launch of an innovative digital payments dashboard designed to streamline and monitor transactions across the nation.
The prime minister instructed officials to ensure that the targets for the digital payment system are met within the specified time frame.
The meeting was attended by federal ministers, including Muhammad Aurangzeb, Ahad Cheema, Attaullah Tarar, Shiza Fatima, and Ali Pervez Malik, as well as Minister of State Bilal Azhar Kayani, SBP Governor Jameel Ahmed, provincial chief secretaries, and other senior officials.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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