Date: July 26, 2025

In a major move toward a cashless economy, the Government of Pakistan has mandated QR codes on all electricity, gas, and telephone bills to facilitate digital payments. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will launch the Digital Payment Index Pakistan next month. The initiative includes expanding PoS and QR code acceptance nationwide, including petrol pumps, motorways, and remote regions. SBP targets 15 billion digital transactions and 120 million app users by FY26. Merchants will be incentivized with a 0.5% subsidy support, and Raast onboarding is being accelerated. Legal and regulatory frameworks will be revised to mandate digital payment acceptance. Islamabad IT Park’s inauguration is scheduled for August, while RoW charges on fiber deployment will be eliminated to support digital infrastructure nationwide.