Islamabad sets Dec 31 deadline to become fully cashless city
No cash will be accepted at any ICT or CDA department after 30 November, the government has announced. It aims to bring all Islamabad merchants into the digital payments system by 31 December.
- Cash payments end at all ICT and CDA departments after 30 November
- Target is a fully cashless Islamabad by 31 December
- 26,000 merchants are already connected to digital payments
The federal government has set 31 December as the deadline to make Islamabad Pakistan's first fully cashless city. Under the plan, no cash payments will be accepted in any department of the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) or the Capital Development Authority (CDA) after 30 November.
The decision was announced at a meeting on the Cashless Islamabad initiative held on Friday and chaired by Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry. CDA Chairman Sohail Ashraf, representatives of the banking sector and other senior officials attended.
The government wants every merchant in the capital connected to the digital payments system by the deadline. According to The Express Tribune, 26,000 merchants in Islamabad are already connected. Digital payment facilities are to be introduced at every level, from street vendors to large business centres.
Chaudhry said: "The target is to bring all merchants in Islamabad into the cashless system by December 31." He also said: "The cashless system will bring improvements in financial transparency, tax monitoring and the transaction system."
The minister of state said consultation with all stakeholders is important for the project's success. Express News reported that he said implementation is moving quickly under directives from the prime minister and the interior minister.
According to Chaudhry, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi assured the prime minister that Islamabad would become Pakistan's first cashless city and the world's first cashless capital. Banking sector representatives praised the initiative and promised full cooperation.
The Express Tribune reported that last week Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed authorities to prepare a roadmap with specific timelines and targets for a fully digital payment system across the country. He called for nationwide internet connectivity and public access to technology, and for customer complaints about digital payment services to be addressed without delay.
The prime minister also called for promoting consumer-to-merchant digital transactions through the Raast QR Code initiative. All ministries and government departments were directed to ensure full implementation of the cashless economy plan.
Why it matters for Pakistan
Residents of Islamabad will have to pay at ICT and CDA departments digitally once cash is no longer accepted after 30 November. Shopkeepers and traders, from street vendors to large business centres, are expected to join digital payment systems by 31 December. Banks are involved as partners in the rollout. The government says the system is meant to improve financial transparency and tax monitoring.
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