The Government of Pakistan has reaffirmed its commitment to accelerating the country’s transition towards a cashless and digitally enabled economy, with an emphasis on expanding financial inclusion, strengthening digital payments, and improving access to formal financial services for individuals and small businesses. The renewed focus was highlighted during a high-level meeting held at the Finance Division to review progress on the national digitization agenda.
The meeting was chaired by Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb and was attended by senior representatives from Ant Group and Easypaisa Digital Bank. The delegation included Douglas Feagin, President of Ant International and Senior Vice President at Ant Group; Irfan Wahab Khan, Chairman of Easypaisa Digital Bank; and Jahanzeb Khan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Easypaisa Digital Bank. Discussions centered on advancing digital infrastructure, payment systems and rails, and the digitization of government-related payments.
Senator Aurangzeb stated that Pakistan’s digitization drive has gained momentum, supported by clear performance targets and a coordinated approach across government and private sector stakeholders. He emphasized that digital banks and fintech platforms can play a critical role in enabling inclusive credit and targeted lending, particularly for underserved segments such as small farmers. According to the finance minister, scalable digital platforms are essential to broaden agriculture lending and ensure the long-term sustainability of financial access initiatives.
The finance minister also highlighted the importance of diversifying the investor base for domestic public debt. He noted that enabling retail participation through digital platforms could help reduce distribution costs and allow citizens to invest in government securities through accessible and secure channels. Such measures, he said, would strengthen public participation in financial markets while improving efficiency in government borrowing.
Participants in the meeting expressed support for Pakistan’s digital economy agenda and noted that the expansion of digital payments and financial services could help document economic activity, broaden the tax base, and improve overall economic efficiency. The delegation emphasized the need to scale QR-code merchant acceptance, enhance cross-border and wallet-based payments, and strengthen customer education to drive wider adoption of digital financial services.
Irfan Wahab Khan shared that Easypaisa is progressively transitioning from a payments-focused platform to a broader financial services provider. He outlined the company’s focus on financial inclusion, customer education, and the development of savings and wealth management offerings. He added that expanding service offerings would help deepen user engagement and support long-term financial wellbeing for customers.
The discussions also covered the regulation of virtual assets, with an emphasis on ensuring consumer protection and regulatory compliance. Participants exchanged views on opportunities in tokenization and the potential role of regulated, technology-enabled channels in supporting capital market development. The finance minister underscored the need to bring emerging digital asset activity within a structured regulatory framework.
Senator Aurangzeb briefed the delegation on Pakistan’s macroeconomic stabilization efforts and reform priorities, including tax base expansion, energy sector reforms, state-owned enterprises, and privatization initiatives. He stressed the importance of translating economic stability into investment-led growth, supported by digital finance and technology-driven solutions.
Douglas Feagin highlighted Ant Group’s global experience in digital payments and financial technology, noting that the group invested $3.26 billion in research and development in 2024. He stated that expanding digital payments and digital finance has helped improve documentation of economic activity and contributed to tax base expansion in several international markets. He also reaffirmed Ant International’s and Easypaisa’s commitment to scaling QR-code merchant acceptance and driving consumer adoption through practical use cases.
Feagin further pointed to operational considerations related to biometric-based customer onboarding, compliance requirements, and the cost of authentication and verification processes, noting that these factors are critical for sustainable scaling of digital financial services.
Both sides agreed to continue close coordination on merchant digitization, customer education, QR-code acceptance, and access to regulated savings and investment products. The finance minister invited the delegation to submit concrete proposals to advance shared priorities under the government’s digitization agenda.
The engagement reflects Pakistan’s broader strategy to leverage fintech partnerships and global expertise to modernize its financial ecosystem, promote financial inclusion, and support the transition toward a digitally driven and cashless economy.
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