The promotion of the digital economy is a top priority of the government and concrete steps are being taken to advance and strengthen it, Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunications Shaza Fatima Khawaja said on Friday while addressing a ceremony marking the first anniversary of easypaisa’s digital banking operations.
Speaking as chief guest at easypaisa digital bank’s annual stakeholder dinner, the minister congratulated the institution on completing one year as a digital bank. She said accelerated digitization was aligning Pakistan’s economy with modern requirements and described the record growth in IT exports as an encouraging signal for the country’s economic future. She added that the government was all set to launch 5G services in Pakistan next year.
On the occasion, easypaisa announced that it had processed over 3.8 billion transactions in 2025, with a cumulative value exceeding PKR 15 trillion, during its first year of digital banking operations. The bank also unveiled a major step towards expanding Pakistan’s global remittance and payments connectivity.
The event was attended by federal ministers, policymakers, regulators, business leaders and media representatives, and highlighted easypaisa digital bank’s role in expanding access to digital financial services across the country.
Hosted by Board Chairman Irfan Wahab Khan, Ant International President Douglas Feagin and President and CEO Jahanzeb Khan, the evening also marked the launch of easypaisa’s partnership with Ant International’s WorldFirst platform. Through this collaboration, easypaisa customers will be able to receive cross-border payments and remittances from over 100 countries in more than 100 currencies directly into their accounts. The initiative is aimed at extending reach beyond traditional remittance corridors such as the GCC, the UK and the US, while supporting freelancers, exporters and overseas Pakistanis.
Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani said the presence of digital finance practitioners was essential for effective policymaking, stressing the importance of demonstrating the real, on-ground benefits of a cashless economy.
Board Chairman Irfan Wahab Khan termed the milestone a point of pride for Pakistan’s financial ecosystem, while Douglas Feagin, President of Ant International, reaffirmed Ant Group’s long-term commitment to building a more inclusive digital financial future in Pakistan.
According to the bank, digital transactions now account for an estimated 11 percent of Pakistan’s GDP. easypaisa is currently serving one in every five Pakistanis, with women comprising 31 percent of its user base, underlining its growing role in driving digital payments, financial inclusion and economic formalization across the country.
