ZULFIQAR AHMAD

ISLAMABAD: In a clear message to the provinces, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday directed all provincial governments, including those of Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), to fully cooperate with the federal government in advancing the ambitious plan for the digitisation of the economy and the promotion of a cashless economy. The prime minister, while chairing a weekly review meeting on the transition to a cashless and digital economy, warned that the transformation plan must not be treated as an optional exercise.

He underscored that digitisation was not merely a matter of convenience – it was a matter of national transparency, economic efficiency, and global competitiveness.

“The aim is to make citizens’ lives easier, not costlier,” the prime minister said, as he emphasised that the masses must not bear any financial burden during the transition.

But behind the soft phrasing was a firm directive: federal plans must move forward swiftly, and all governments – central or provincial – must fall in step.

Signalling impatience with bureaucratic foot-dragging, Sharif called for “meaningful consultation” with stakeholders to be institutionalised – not delayed under the guise of process.

He said that clear timelines must be met and insisted that collaboration across federal and provincial lines was non-negotiable.

Officials briefing the prime minister said that the groundwork for the digital economy architecture was nearly complete. The National Digital Commission and Pakistan Digital Authority have been established, and rules of operation have been finalised.

Appointments to the authority are said to be in their final stages.

In what appears to be a signal that the plan is entering an operational phase, the Merchant Onboarding Framework – a critical step for enabling digital payments – was formally launched on July 25.

The meeting was attended by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Planning Minister AhsanIqbal, IT Minister Shaza Fatima, and State Minister for Finance Bilal Kayani, as well as chief secretaries from all provinces and territories, and senior government officials.