Islamabad Expands Cashless Payments to Hotels, Petrol Pumps, Restaurants

Islamabad is moving closer to becoming Pakistan’s first fully cashless city as the Capital Development Authority (CDA) expands digital payments to hotels, restaurants, petrol pumps and guest houses. The decision was taken during a high-level meeting chaired by CDA Chairman Muhammad Ali Randhawa. Officials said the initiative aligns with the Prime Minister’s and Interior Minister’s vision of establishing Islamabad as a model cashless city. QR-based payments are already active in weekly markets, the CDA One Window Center, and on metro and electric buses. The system is now being rapidly introduced to commercial centres, malls and local markets. The chairman directed banks to run awareness campaigns and encouraged businesses to offer discounts for QR payments. He added that M-Tag and digital parking systems are also being rolled out to support the city’s digital transformation.