Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said that Pakistan’s shift toward an electronic payment system will play a significant role in attaining sustainable economic growth.
He stressed that Pakistan must stay aligned with worldwide digital progress.
In a top-level meeting in the federal capital, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said that Pakistan always prioritised digitalization, and the results are in front of everyone now.
According to the minutes of a high-level meeting chaired by the Prime Minister, the citizens can now pay their electricity and gas bills by using the Raast digital platform. All consumers can also pay their utility bills by using Jazzcash services.
Officials in the meeting updated PM Shahbaz about one million digital wallets of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP). The officials confirmed that all the wallets will be completely operational by the end of November, verifying that beneficiaries will be able to receive future installments digitally.
The Prime Minister was also informed during the meeting that a mobile application of Islamabad government services has been linked to the Raast payment platform, adding that all fresh business licenses in Islamabad are now tied to the online payment system.
Existing shops have also been equipped to accept QR code payments, while licenses for new digital banks are being issued to expand financial access nationwide.
68% of the country’s population is now part of the financial system, showing significant growth in electronic payment adoption.
The Prime Minister instructed ministries to widen the financial reach and make sure to achieve digital economy goals within the given time period. Shahbaz Sharif also said that these digital reforms will make the country strong and corruption-free.
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja, State Bank Governor Jameel Ahmad, FBR Chairman Rashid Mahmood Langrial, and senior officials from NADRA and other departments were present in the meeting.
