Islamabad International Airport has officially been declared a Fully Digital Payment Enabled Facility, with JazzCash recognized at a ceremony for leading the airport’s transition to a completely cashless ecosystem.

The initiative, undertaken in collaboration with the Pakistan Airports Authority and the State Bank of Pakistan, marks a significant step in modernizing payment infrastructure at one of Pakistan’s most important national gateways in Line with Prime Minister’s Cashless economy initiative.

As part of the transformation, interoperable QR-based payment acceptance was embedded across passenger service counters, parking and retail outlets, supported by the deployment of smart payment devices including Soundbox solutions for real-time transaction confirmations. This infrastructure enables passengers to pay fees and charges digitally, reducing queue times, minimizing cash handling, and improving transparency and efficiency in airport operations.

Officials from the Pakistan Airports Authority noted that the shift enhances passenger convenience while aligning airport services with international digital standards. Representatives from the State Bank of Pakistan highlighted the importance of expanding digital payment acceptance across public infrastructure to strengthen trust and accelerate adoption nationwide.

The transition of Islamabad International Airport to a fully cashless environment reflects broader institutional momentum toward a cashless economy. By integrating secure and scalable digital payment rails into critical transit infrastructure, the initiative sets a benchmark for similar transformations across major airports and commercial hubs in Pakistan.

Garaj, the cloud and cybersecurity solutions platform from JazzWorld, has successfully enabled the launch of Raqami Islamic Digital Bank, Pakistan’s first fully Islamic digital retail bank to operate entirely on domestic cloud infrastructure. This milestone reflects Garaj’s capability to host mission-critical financial systems while reinforcing Raqami Islamic Digital Bank’s ambition to redefine digital banking in Pakistan.

Designed as a cloud-native institution, Raqami Islamic Digital Bank has deployed its complete technology stack – including core banking, digital channels, and fully operational Production (PR) and Disaster Recovery (DR) environments – on Garaj’s enterprise-grade cloud platform. By adopting a fully hosted model at inception, Raqami has eliminated legacy constraints and established a scalable, performance-driven foundation designed for sustained digital growth.

Speaking at the occasion, Shahzad Rasheed, President Enterprise Solutions, JazzWorld, stated, “As a fully Islamic digital bank, Raqami Islamic Digital Bank, requires a cloud environment capable of supporting regulated banking operations, and our partnership with them highlights our commitment towards building a digital foundation that Pakistan can rely on – one that is secure, resilient, and designed for national scale.”

Umair Aijaz, CEO at Raqami Islamic Digital Bank, added, “As Pakistan’s first fully Islamic digital retail bank, our foundation had to be secure, scalable, and future-ready from inception. Partnering with Garaj enabled us to deploy our complete technology stack on a trusted domestic cloud platform. This positions us to accelerate innovation while maintaining rigorous standards of security, reliability, and regulatory alignment.”

Raqami Islamic Digital Bank will run on Garaj’s Tier III–certified infrastructure, with built-in redundancy to ensure high availability for regulated financial workloads. The platform further includes core security controls such as monitoring, access governance, and threat detection, to support secure operations and long-term scalability.

This milestone establishes a new standard for cloud-hosted financial services in Pakistan and strengthens Garaj’s role in deploying a business continuity-enabled service that powers Raqami’s rise as a next-generation digital bank.

The Azad Jammu and Kashmir government has abolished Right of Way charges for telecom and IT infrastructure, aiming to accelerate digital connectivity and fiber network expansion across the region.

The decision was approved by the President following a cabinet meeting held on January 28, 2026, removing a key cost barrier for telecom operators.

The move is expected to significantly reduce deployment costs and encourage faster rollout of broadband infrastructure.

These include the Communication and Works Department, Local Government authorities, Physical Planning and Housing, Energy and Water Resources, Board of Revenue, and the Forest Department.

To streamline processes, the government has introduced a one-window system for issuing No Objection Certificates for telecom towers and fiber deployment.

Applications will be processed through deputy commissioners, with a maximum approval timeline of 15 days. If no response is received within this period, approvals will be automatically granted.

The framework also outlines that restoration costs for any damaged infrastructure will be calculated based on market rates and paid in advance by telecom operators.

A grievance redressal mechanism has also been established, with disputes to be resolved within one week at the district level. The decision aligns with broader national efforts to remove financial barriers to telecom expansion.

Following federal directives issued in July 2025, several institutions and provinces have taken similar steps to support digital infrastructure growth across Pakistan.