KARACHI: The federal government has decided to discontinue cheque-based payments under the Asaan Assignment Accounts (AAA) system from November 15, with all payments to be made exclusively through Raast from November 16.
The decision was announced on Friday at a high-level meeting on the promotion of a cashless economy, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Officials told the meeting that drawing and disbursing officers (DDOs) had already received training for the transition.
They said digitisation of payments was progressing across federal and provincial departments, with most institutions expected to complete the process by December 2026. Payments under the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), they added, were now being made entirely through digital wallets.
The prime minister directed the relevant authorities to prepare a clear roadmap, with specific targets and deadlines, for a fully digital payments system across the country. He asked all ministries and government institutions to ensure full implementation of the cashless economy plan.
He also instructed officials to address, without delay, the technical and consumer-related problems faced by users, stressing that wider access to technology and reliable internet connectivity were essential to the initiative’s success.
The meeting reviewed efforts to promote Raast QR code payments between consumers and merchants. The prime minister directed that the initiative continue under government patronage, noting that QR-based payments were advancing the vision of a cashless economy of the government.
He called for an effective media campaign to encourage electricity and gas consumers to pay their bills by scanning the QR codes printed on them. Officials said work was under way on a system to enable digital transactions in areas without internet access, while efforts to improve internet infrastructure nationwide were being accelerated.
The prime minister described the transition to digital payments as a key government priority and commended the finance ministry and other institutions for their efforts.
