Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered authorities to establish a definitive roadmap and strict deadlines to achieve a 100 percent digital payments ecosystem across Pakistan by December 2026. During a high-level meeting in Islamabad focused on building a cashless economy, officials received instructions to resolve user friction points immediately and expand reliable internet access nationwide.
This directive forces commercial banks, fintech operators, and federal and provincial departments to accelerate their technical integration. The push moves past voluntary adoption into mandated timelines for government collections, utility billing, tax payments, and social welfare disbursements. Government departments are required to track progress against quarterly benchmarks to ensure compliance across all administrative tiers before the target date.
Federal and Provincial Government Institutions Face December 2026 Target
Digitization across public sector bodies is moving at an accelerated pace. Most federal and provincial government institutions are scheduled to complete their payment digitisation by December 2026, transitioning all fee collections and administrative payouts onto electronic networks.
Public welfare payments are already operating entirely on digital tracks. All disbursements under the Benazir Income Support Programme run exclusively through digital wallets, removing cash distribution bottlenecks and physical collection queues for beneficiaries.
Ministries and provincial entities must implement the cashless economy plan fully across their daily operational workflows. To support users in regions with limited connectivity, authorities are developing alternative modern digital payment systems alongside infrastructure projects to deliver countrywide internet access. These offline and low-bandwidth payment solutions aim to maintain transaction availability in remote areas.
Raast QR Codes Take Center Stage for Utility Bills
State institutions credit Raast QR code transactions as the primary driver behind the current transition. The government confirmed that the consumer-to-merchant payment scheme will continue under direct state patronage to encourage adoption among small businesses and service providers.
A coordinated media campaign will launch to urge electricity and gas consumers to settle their monthly utility bills by scanning the QR codes printed directly on their statements. Drawing and disbursing officers across departments have already completed technical training to handle financial processing without physical vouchers.
Asaan Assignment Account Cheques Replaced by Raast
Paper-based transactions are actively disappearing from official channels. Cheque-based payments through the Asaan Assignment Account are officially discontinued starting November 15.
The nationwide Raast digital system replaces these legacy accounts entirely across all public offices. This shift removes paper processing delays for state-linked financial transactions and shifts administrative workflows onto instant payment rails, allowing direct bank account transfers for vendor payments and government procurement.
Remittances and Reminders from Previous Directives
The push for a cashless framework follows earlier administrative steps taken by the executive branch. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif formed a high-level committee to promote a cashless economy in June last year. Subsequent orders in July mandated the complete digitisation of inbound international remittances to direct foreign funds into formal banking channels.
The Prime Minister also stressed the need to address user grievances across existing fintech interfaces quickly. Ensuring reliable technology infrastructure and rapid dispute resolution remain core prerequisites as public and private institutions move toward the end-of-year 2026 deadline.
Five Core Changes in the National Cashless Roadmap
- Deadline: All payments across federal and provincial government institutions must be fully digitised by December 2026.
- Utility Billing: Electricity and gas consumers will use QR codes printed on physical bills, backed by a national awareness campaign.
- Account Phase-out: Cheque payments via the Asaan Assignment Account end on November 15, replaced by the Raast system.
- Welfare Systems: Benazir Income Support Programme disbursements operate entirely through digital wallets.
- Infrastructure: Officials are deploying modern payment solutions for regions lacking stable internet alongside broader connectivity rollouts.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the deadline for full digital payments in Pakistan?
The government set December 2026 as the deadline for a 100 percent digital payments ecosystem across federal and provincial institutions.
What happens to Asaan Assignment Accounts?
Cheque-based payments through Asaan Assignment Accounts are discontinued from November 15 and replaced nationwide by Raast.
How will utility bills be paid digitally?
Consumers are directed to pay electricity and gas bills using the Raast QR codes printed directly on their monthly statements.
Source: TechJuice