PM Shehbaz Orders to Make Remittances 100% Digital

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed authorities to fully digitize overseas remittances.

Chairing a meeting on digital payments in Islamabad on Tuesday, the prime minister ordered officials to strengthen awareness campaigns encouraging merchants to adopt QR code-based payments and ensure that remittances from abroad become 100 percent digital.

92 percent of remittances were already received through digital channels during the last fiscal year.

The meeting was told that workers’ remittances reached a record $41.6 billion in fiscal year 2025-26, reinforcing their role as a key pillar of Pakistan’s external sector.

The government has also expanded the Roshan Digital Account framework to allow participation by foreign nationals and investors, broadening access to Pakistan’s digital financial ecosystem.

Shehbaz praised the economic team for progress made over the past year, noting that the number of merchants accepting digital payments through QR codes increased by 300 percent to two million between June 2025 and June 2026.

He also highlighted the rise in mobile banking users from 95 million to 137 million and called on banks and financial institutions to further accelerate digital payment adoption.

Officials said all payments to 10 million Benazir Income Support Program beneficiaries are now made through digital wallets, while 99 percent of National Database and Registration Authority payments have been digitized. The meeting was also informed that Pakistan recorded 11.9 billion digital transactions between July 2025 and June 2026.

A third party assessment of the government’s cashless economy initiative is underway, with a final report and recommendations expected in November.