ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s central bank on Friday launched a nationwide “Go Cashless” campaign to promote secure and convenient digital transactions in 96 cattle markets throughout the country ahead of the Eid Al-Adha festival.
Eid Al-Adha, one of the two major Islamic festivals, draws thousands of buyers to cattle markets across Pakistan, where goats, cows, and bulls are purchased for ritual sacrifice. Large cash transactions take place at these temporary markets.
The initiative undertaken by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) is part of its vision to reduce reliance on cash and accelerate the digitization of the country’s payment ecosystem.
Around 22 banks will set up kiosks at designated cattle markets to onboard sellers, buyers, and transporters onto digital payment systems through account opening and the deployment of QR-code-based payment solutions.
“Building on the success of previous campaigns, the 2026 initiative has been significantly expanded, with coverage increasing from 54 cattle markets in 2025 to 96 markets nationwide this year,” the SBP said in a statement.
It highlighted the introduction of “temporary relaxations” on transaction and account balance limits from May 14 to June 5 to facilitate the public.
Mobile banking vans, ATMs, and cash deposit machines will also be deployed at designated cattle markets, the SBP added.
Yesterday, Islamabad police deployed more than 1,500 officers and personnel to secure cattle markets in the capital ahead of Eid Al-Adha, which is likely to fall on May 27 based on astronomical calculations for the sighting of the ZilHajj moon.
Pakistan remains heavily cash-dependent, enabling tax evasion and limiting financial transparency. Expanding digital payments can boost revenues, reduce corruption, and improve safety for customers and traders.
