Pakistan to End Cheque Payments for Government Accounts on 15 November — All Payments Move to Raast

Pakistan is about to take a big step towards a cashless economy. From 16 November 2026, all payments made through the government’s Asaan Assignment Accounts will go through Raast, the State Bank of Pakistan’s instant digital payment system. Cheques will no longer be accepted for these payments after 15 November.

The decision was announced on Friday, 6 November, at a high-level meeting on the cashless economy chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad. The government says the change will make public payments faster, safer and easier to track — and it is only the first step in a much bigger plan to digitise almost all government payments by December 2026.

What changes on 15 and 16 November?

The change is simple, but it affects a huge part of how the government pays its bills.

From 15 November 2026, cheque-based payments under the Asaan Assignment Accounts (AAA) system will stop. From 16 November, all such payments across the country will be made only through Raast.

Officials told the meeting that the drawing and disbursing officers — the government officials who handle payments in each department — have already been trained to use the new system. In other words, the people who will actually press the buttons have been prepared in advance, so the switch should not cause long delays.

The Prime Minister’s Office confirmed the dates in a statement after the meeting, and the same dates were reported by Dawn, Business Recorder and The Express Tribune.

What are Asaan Assignment Accounts?

To understand why this matters, it helps to know what Asaan Assignment Accounts are.

Government departments do not pay their suppliers, contractors and service providers from one single bank account. Instead, each department has assignment accounts — special accounts that hold public money for specific purposes, such as paying a contractor who built a road or a company that supplied medicines to a hospital.

Until now, many of these payments were made by cheque. A cheque is a paper instruction to a bank to pay a certain amount. It is slow: it must be written, signed, delivered, deposited and then cleared by the bank, a process that can take days. Paper cheques can also be lost, delayed or misused.

Under the new system, the same payments will travel digitally through Raast instead. The money will move from the government’s account to the recipient’s bank account in seconds, with a digital record of every payment.

What is Raast?

Raast is Pakistan’s national instant payment system. It is owned and run by the State Bank of Pakistan. The word “Raast” is an Urdu word meaning “direct” or “correct” — a fitting name for a system built to move money straight from one account to another.

Here is what you need to know about it:

• It was launched on 11 January 2021. The first part of the system covered bulk payments, which let government departments and large companies pay many people at once — for example, salaries or pensions.
• Person-to-person payments followed in February 2022. Since then, ordinary people have been able to send money to each other instantly using a mobile number linked as a Raast ID, instead of typing a long account number or IBAN.
• It is free for end users. The State Bank has directed banks not to charge customers for Raast payments. In the past, an interbank transfer could cost Rs25 to Rs50 or more. With Raast, a payment costs the customer nothing.
• It works around the clock. Raast payments can be made 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including weekends and public holidays. A payment is normally credited to the receiver’s account within seconds.
• It also covers shops and businesses. A person-to-merchant service lets customers pay shops by scanning a Raast QR code with their phone — no cash and no card needed.

Raast has grown quickly since its launch. Millions of Pakistanis now use it for everyday transfers, and the government has been pushing it as the backbone of a cashless economy.

The bigger plan: a fully digital government by December 2026

Ending cheques for assignment accounts is only one part of a much larger plan.

At the same meeting, officials told the Prime Minister that work to digitise payments was moving ahead in federal and provincial government departments, and that payments in most institutions are expected to be fully digitised by December 2026.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed the authorities to prepare a clear roadmap, with specific targets and deadlines, for a fully digital payment system across the country. He said promoting a cashless economy was one of the government’s top priorities, and that all ministries and government institutions must ensure the plan is fully carried out.

The meeting also covered three other important points:

1. Help for the poorest is already fully digital. All payments under the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) — the government’s main cash support programme for low-income families — are now made entirely through digital wallets. This means the money reaches families directly, without middlemen and without paper.

2. Paying shops with QR codes will continue. The government-backed scheme that encourages people to pay shops and small businesses by scanning Raast QR codes will continue under government patronage. The Prime Minister said the QR code system was helping the government’s vision of a cashless economy, and that it should keep growing.

3. Utility bills will carry QR codes. The Prime Minister directed officials to run an effective media campaign encouraging people to pay their electricity and gas bills by scanning the QR codes printed on the bills. This is aimed at ordinary households: instead of standing in a queue or handling cash, a person can scan the code on the bill and pay from their phone.

The Prime Minister also stressed the need for internet access across the country, because digital payments only work if people can get online.

Why this matters for ordinary Pakistanis

A change in how government departments pay their bills may sound like boring paperwork. But it affects ordinary people in several real ways:

Faster payments for small businesses. Thousands of small suppliers and contractors work for the government — from the company that supplies stationery to a district office to the builder who repairs a school. Today, they often wait days or weeks for a cheque to clear. Instant digital payments mean they get their money sooner, which helps small businesses pay their own staff and buy stock.

Less room for corruption and delays. Every Raast payment leaves a digital trail. It is much harder for a payment to “get lost” or be delayed without explanation when the money moves electronically and both sides can see it. This is one of the main reasons governments around the world are moving away from cash and cheques.

More people joining the banking system. Pakistan’s financial inclusion rate — the share of adults who use formal financial services — has reached 71%, according to the State Bank. Digital government payments push more people and businesses into the formal system, because to receive a payment you need a bank account or a wallet.

Less cash in the economy. Cash is expensive to print, transport and guard, and it is hard to tax. When government payments go digital, less cash circulates, and more economic activity becomes visible to the tax system.

What could go wrong?

The plan is ambitious, and it will not be without problems. The government itself has pointed to the biggest one: internet access. Digital payments need a reliable internet connection. In areas with weak mobile signals, people may struggle to receive or confirm payments. That is why the Prime Minister stressed countrywide internet access at the meeting.

There are other challenges too:

• People without bank accounts. A payment can only reach someone through Raast if they have a bank account or a mobile wallet. Many Pakistanis, especially in rural areas, still do not. The BISP experience shows that digital wallets can reach low-income families, but the system must keep expanding.
• Training and trust. Government officers have been trained, according to officials, but suppliers and small contractors will also need help learning the new system. Some people may be nervous about giving up paper cheques, which feel familiar, for a digital system they cannot see.
• Technical problems. Any large digital system can face outages or errors. If a payment fails on 16 November, departments will need a quick way to fix it so that suppliers are not left waiting.

None of these problems is a reason to stop. But they are reasons to watch the first few weeks of the new system closely.

What happens next

Here is the timeline to watch:

• 15 November 2026: Cheque payments under Asaan Assignment Accounts stop.
• 16 November 2026: All assignment account payments move to Raast only.
• December 2026: Most federal and provincial government institutions are expected to have fully digitised their payments.
• Coming weeks: The government will present its roadmap with targets and deadlines for a 100% digital payment system, as directed by the Prime Minister.

For businesses that deal with the government, the message is clear: make sure your bank account is linked to Raast before 16 November, so payments reach you without delay.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Raast?

Raast is Pakistan’s instant payment system, run by the State Bank of Pakistan. It lets people, businesses and government departments send money to each other instantly and free of charge, 24 hours a day, using a mobile number or a bank account number.

What are Asaan Assignment Accounts?

They are special government bank accounts used by departments to pay suppliers, contractors and service providers. From 16 November 2026, all payments from these accounts will be made through Raast instead of by cheque.

Will I still be able to use cheques for other things?

Yes. This change only covers payments made through Asaan Assignment Accounts. Personal cheques and cheques used by private businesses are not affected.

Do I have to pay to use Raast?

No. Raast payments are free for end users. Banks have been directed by the State Bank not to charge customers for Raast transactions.

What should a government supplier do before 16 November?

Make sure your bank account is active and linked to Raast, and that your department has your correct account details. If you are unsure, ask your bank — most banks can link a mobile number as a Raast ID in a few minutes.

What happens to BISP payments?

Nothing changes for the families who receive them. All BISP payments are already made through digital wallets, and that will continue.

Conclusion

The end of cheques for government assignment accounts is a small change on paper and a large change in practice. From 16 November, public money will move in seconds instead of days, with a digital record for every rupee.

If the system works as promised, suppliers will be paid faster, public money will be easier to track, and more Pakistanis will be brought into the digital economy. The real test will come in the first weeks after the switch — and in whether the government meets its December 2026 target of fully digital payments across its departments.

For now, the direction is clear: Pakistan’s government is going cashless, and Raast is the road it is taking to get there.

Sources

• Dawn, “PM seeks roadmap for ‘100pc’ digital payments system, stresses countrywide internet access”, 6 November 2026: https://www.dawn.com/news/2042606/pm-seeks-roadmap-for-100pc-digital-payments-system-stresses-countrywide-internet-access
• Business Recorder, “Use of cheques will be stopped: All AAA payments only via Raast from 16th”, 7 November 2026: https://www.brecorder.com/news/40447881
• The Express Tribune, “PM directs authorities to map out cashless economy transition”, 7 November 2026: https://tribune.com.pk/story/2638999/pm-directs-authorities-to-map-out-cashless-economy-transition?amp=1
• The Nation, “PM seeks roadmap for establishing 100pc digital payments system”, 7 November 2026: https://www.nation.com.pk/07-Nov-2026/pm-seeks-roadmap-establishing-100pc-digital-payments-system
• Profit (Pakistan Today), “Govt to shift all Asaan Assignment Accounts payments to Raast from November 16”, 7 November 2026: https://profit.pakistantoday.com.pk/2026/11/07/govt-to-shift-all-asaan-assignment-accounts-payments-to-raast-from-november-16
• Wikipedia, “Raast” (background: launch date, phases, free P2P transfers): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raast
• Geo News, “SBP launches person-to-person fund transfers via Raast” (background): https://www.geo.tv/latest/396932-sbp-launches-person-to-person-fund-transfers-through-raast

This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.