Islamabad, 13 November, 2026 (Nosheen): The federal government has set December 31 as the deadline to transform Islamabad into Pakistan’s first fully cashless city under the Cashless Capital project. The decision was announced during a meeting chaired by Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry in Islamabad on Friday. According to the Ministry of Interior, Chaudhry said the initiative was being implemented on the directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. He announced that cash payments would no longer be accepted at any department of the Islamabad Capital Territory administration or the Capital Development Authority (CDA) after November 30. The government aims to bring all merchants in the federal capital into the digital payment system by December 31. Chaudhry revealed that around 26,000 merchants had already been connected to the digital payments network, with facilities to be extended from street vendors to major commercial centres. He said the initiative would improve financial transparency, tax monitoring and transaction efficiency. CDA Chairman Sohail Ashraf, banking representatives and senior officials attended the meeting. Banking sector representatives welcomed the initiative and assured their cooperation. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has also directed authorities to establish a clear roadmap for introducing digital payments across the country, with most federal and provincial government institutions expected to complete the transition by December 2026.