PM Shehbaz Directs Raast Rollout to Districts

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed satisfaction over the progress and measures taken towards transitioning Pakistan to a cashless and digital economy. Chairing a high-level review meeting, the Prime Minister emphasized the government’s commitment to prioritizing the digitization of the economy and transforming the financial transaction system into a cashless and digital framework. During the meeting, the Prime Minister directed all Chief Secretaries to fully cooperate with the federal government in extending the “Raast” payment system to the district level. He stressed the importance of collaboration between federal and provincial authorities to ensure the success of this initiative. Officials provided a detailed briefing on the progress of initiatives aimed at creating a cashless economy. It was highlighted that Pakistan’s Digital Public Infrastructure will introduce digital IDs, which will integrate information such as national identity cards, biometric data, and mobile phone numbers for every individual. These digital IDs will enable seamless digital payments across the country. The briefing also noted significant progress by provincial governments in linking public-to-government (P2G) and government-to-public (G2P) payment systems with the “Raast” platform. This integration is expected to enhance efficiency and transparency in financial transactions. The meeting was informed that the Federal Development Authority has granted the right of way for fiber connectivity to support the construction of digital infrastructure. Discussions with Pakistan Railways and the National Highway Authority are ongoing to further facilitate this initiative. The meeting was attended by Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Ahsan Iqbal, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, Federal Minister for IT and Telecom Shaza Fatima, Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik, the Prime Minister’s Advisor Dr. Tauqir Shah, Minister of State for Finance and Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani, and other senior government officials.