Pakistan’s digital payments landscape has taken another step forward as 1LINK entered into a strategic partnership with the Punjab Water and Sanitation Agency to digitize bill collections across the province through its 1BILL platform. The collaboration is set to modernize payment processing for water and sanitation services in all 36 districts of Punjab, expanding access to secure and real-time digital transactions for millions of consumers.
The agreement formalizes the integration of PWASA’s billing system with 1BILL, a centralized bill payment solution operated by 1LINK. By enabling customers to settle their water and sanitation bills digitally, the initiative aims to streamline revenue collection, reduce operational bottlenecks, and strengthen financial transparency within the public utility framework. The move also aligns with the broader vision of the Chief Minister of Punjab to accelerate digital innovation and advance the province toward a cashless ecosystem.
The signing ceremony brought together key stakeholders from both organizations and the banking sector. Mr. Tayyab Farid, Director General of PWASA, represented the agency, while Mr. Bashir Khan, Chief Commercial Officer of 1LINK, signed on behalf of the payment network. The event was also attended by Ms. Samreen Ashraf, Director GIS and IT; Mr. Ahsan Hayat, Deputy Director IT at WASA Lahore; and Mr. Kashif Abbas Naqvi, Vice President at Allied Bank, reflecting cross-institutional coordination in implementing the project.
Through this partnership, customers of PWASA will now be able to pay their utility bills using the 1BILL platform, which connects multiple banks, digital channels, and payment service providers across Pakistan. The system enables real-time processing, offering instant confirmation and secure transaction handling. By leveraging 1BILL’s interoperable infrastructure, PWASA is expected to enhance collection efficiency while offering residents a more convenient and accessible payment experience.
For public utilities, digitizing billing operations reduces reliance on manual processes and physical cash handling, lowering administrative costs and minimizing reconciliation delays. Real-time settlement mechanisms also improve cash flow predictability and provide better visibility into revenue streams. With payments processed electronically, agencies can generate more accurate financial data, which can support planning, budgeting, and service improvements.
The integration of PWASA into 1BILL also strengthens the expanding footprint of digital public service payments in Pakistan. As utility providers transition toward digital platforms, financial inclusion and transaction transparency become central pillars of service delivery. The collaboration demonstrates how fintech infrastructure can be leveraged to modernize essential public services at scale.
For 1LINK, the agreement adds another major public sector entity to its 1BILL network, reinforcing its role in Pakistan’s evolving digital payments ecosystem. By connecting utilities with banks and digital channels, the company continues to position itself as a backbone infrastructure provider supporting interoperability and standardized payment flows.
The initiative is particularly significant given Punjab’s size and population. Covering all 36 districts, the rollout ensures province-wide accessibility, allowing customers in both urban centers and smaller districts to benefit from digital bill payment options. This province-level integration signals growing institutional confidence in digital platforms for high-volume public sector transactions.
As Pakistan advances toward a more digitized financial architecture, collaborations between payment infrastructure providers and government agencies are becoming central to reform efforts. The 1LINK-PWASA partnership illustrates how coordinated digital adoption can enhance service delivery, operational efficiency, and governance outcomes, while contributing to the broader objective of building a cashless Punjab.
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