Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The government has set December 31 as the deadline to transform Islamabad into Pakistan’s first fully cashless city, with a phased transition towards digital payments already underway.
Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry chaired an important meeting on the Cashless Islamabad initiative, attended by CDA Chairman Sohail Ashraf, representatives of the banking sector and other senior officials.
Addressing the meeting, Talal Chaudhry said the initiative was being implemented on the special instructions of the Prime Minister and Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.
He said Mohsin Naqvi had promised the Prime Minister to make Islamabad Pakistan’s first cashless city and the world’s first cashless capital.
The minister announced that no government department operating under the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration or the Capital Development Authority (CDA) would accept cash payments after November 30.
He added that the government aimed to bring all merchants in Islamabad into the digital payment system by December 31.
According to Talal Chaudhry, around 26,000 merchants in Islamabad have already been connected to digital payment services. The initiative will extend digital payment facilities to all levels of commercial activity, ranging from street vendors and small businesses to major commercial centres.
He said the cashless system would improve financial transparency, tax monitoring and the overall transaction mechanism, while helping transform Islamabad into a modern digital city.
Representatives of the banking sector welcomed the government’s initiative and assured the authorities of their full cooperation in making Cashless Islamabad a success.
