PM Shehbaz Directs Digital Processing for All Overseas Remittances

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday instructed relevant authorities to ensure that all remittances sent by overseas Pakistanis are processed through digital channels. He issued these directives while chairing a meeting focused on expanding digital payments and promoting a cashless economy.

The Prime Minister commended the government’s economic team for significant advancements in digital financial inclusion, highlighting a 300 percent increase in active merchants accepting QR code-based payments over the past year. He also noted the growth in mobile banking users, with the number rising from 95 million to 137 million during the same period.

PM Shehbaz urged authorities to intensify public awareness campaigns to encourage more businesses to adopt QR code payment systems. He also called on banks and other financial institutions to play a stronger role in accelerating Pakistan’s shift toward digital transactions.

He praised the transition of Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) disbursements to a fully digital platform, citing greater transparency, faster processing, and increased convenience for beneficiaries.

Officials at the meeting reported that between June 2025 and June 2026, the number of merchants receiving digital payments surged by 300 percent, reaching 2.003 million. They also informed that 99 percent of payments made to the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) are now processed digitally, with cash transactions dropping from 71 percent to just 1 percent.

The briefing further revealed that 11.9 billion digital transactions were recorded between July 2025 and June 2026, and 92 percent of remittances from overseas Pakistanis were received through digital channels during the past year. An independent third-party assessment of the cashless economy initiative is currently underway, with its final report and recommendations expected in November 2026.