ISLAMABAD: The government has set an ambitious target of making all government-to-person (G2P) payments fully digital and eliminating the use of physical cheques as part of its drive towards a cashless economy, Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani said.
This he stated at the launch of Z-Wallet, a new initiative through which Zong has partnered with Zindigi, powered by JS Bank, to bring regulated digital financial services directly to the My Zong App (MZA). The service is being introduced through an embedded-finance model powered by Zindigi’s Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) infrastructure.
With more than 22 million monthly active users, My Zong App customers can now access essential banking services within an app they already use, without the need to download or switch to a separate banking application. This initiative represents another step in Zong’s transformation from a traditional telecommunications operator into a broader technology services enterprise.
Built on Zindigi by JS Bank’s regulated banking infrastructure and operating under the regulatory framework of the State Bank of Pakistan, Z-Wallet combines Zong’s technology platforms and customer touchpoints with Zindigi’s digital banking and financial technology capabilities.
Z-Wallet customers can access services including interbank fund transfers to any bank in Pakistan through RAAST, utility and internet bill payments, and mobile top-ups, all through a single login and PIN. The proposition is expected to expand further, with planned services including nano lending, a Z-Debit Card and specialized Zong bundles, creating a broader financial-services ecosystem within the My Zong App.
Kayani said the Prime Minister-led committee on digital payments had set clear targets for expanding merchant adoption, increasing digital banking users and fully digitising government payments.
He said the number of merchants accepting digital payments had risen from around 500,000 in June 2025 to 2.03 million by June 2026, surpassing the target of fourfold growth to two million.
Further, the number of digital banking users increased from 95 million to around 137 million during the same period, against a target of 120 million, he added.
Kayani said the government had also made significant progress in digitising G2P and person-to-government (P2G) payments, with the objective being to ensure that a payment is considered digital only when the entire transaction is completed electronically without any human interaction.He said digitisation of G2P payments by centralised entities had increased from just 9% in June 2025 to 76%, while self-accounting entities improved from 5% to 75%.
A major breakthrough, he said, had been achieved in the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), under which more than 10 million beneficiaries receive direct cash transfers.Kayani said BISP payments were now being completely digitised, with every beneficiary to receive a digital wallet that would function much like a bank account. The wallets would allow beneficiaries to pay utility bills, transfer funds and withdraw cash.
He said the move would eliminate the previous system in which beneficiaries received codes and had to visit agents to withdraw their payments, often facing additional costs and deductions.
The minister said the government had identified high-impact entities, including the Capital Development Authority (CDA), passport offices, National Highway Authority, transport authorities, gas and power companies, for priority digitisation.
He said the government’s ultimate objective was to ensure that all G2P payments were made digitally and that no cheques were issued.“Whether it is an employee, a pensioner or a vendor, everyone should receive payments digitally,” Kayani said.
He added that the government would continue working with provincial governments and the private sector to improve the digital payment experience, particularly QR-based payments, and accelerate Pakistan’s transition towards a cashless economy.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said, “Pakistan’s digital transformation must translate into greater access, opportunity and convenience for its citizens. The launch of Z-Wallet is a positive example of how telecommunications and financial technology can come together to expand access to digital financial services through platforms already used by millions of Pakistanis. Such private-sector collaborations support the Government’s Digital Nation Pakistan vision by advancing digital and financial inclusion, encouraging the adoption of digital payments, and enabling greater participation in the digital economy.”
Zong Marketing Head Sajid Munir said, “The launch of Z-Wallet is another step in expanding Zong’s digital product portfolio into financial services, building an integrated ecosystem for our customers and creating new avenues for digital inclusion. By combining China Mobile’s global technology expertise with Zindigi by JS Bank’s financial capabilities, we are bringing connectivity, technology and finance together on a single digital platform.”
Zindigi Co-Founder & Chief Officer Noman Azhar said, “We believe the next chapter of financial inclusion will not be written by building more banking destinations, but by making banking available inside the ecosystems people already use. Z-Wallet is embedded finance at scale, bringing together Zong’s nationwide digital reach and Zindigi’s regulated Banking-as-a-Service infrastructure to put financial services directly into the customer journey.”
The partnership reflects a broader global shift towards embedded finance, where banking and financial services are increasingly delivered within the digital platforms, applications and ecosystems customers already use, rather than requiring them to engage separately with a traditional financial-services channel.
By combining Zong’s scale and customer reach with Zindigi’s Banking-as-a-Service capabilities, the initiative seeks to reduce friction in accessing financial services and contribute to greater digital and financial inclusion across Pakistan.
Following its soft launch, Z-Wallet has demonstrated encouraging early traction, onboarding approximately 22,000 verified wallets and processing more than 12,000 transactions within a few weeks. The early results reflect organic customer demand for convenient and integrated digital financial services prior to significant marketing investment.
With more than 500,000 new My Zong App downloads each month, Z-Wallet has access to a growing nationwide digital channel through which financial services can be introduced and scaled to customers across Pakistan.
Z-Wallet further strengthens Zong’s Diverse Products and Services portfolio and supports the company’s focus on AI Enablement as it continues to integrate intelligent technologies across its digital ecosystem.
The initiative is designed to simplify customer interactions, enhance service delivery, and enable more personalized digital experiences while positioning the My Zong App as a broader digital platform extending beyond conventional telecom services.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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