The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Friday announced its “Go Cashless” campaign during Eidul Azha 2026, promoting digital payments in 123 cattle markets nationwide, saw over 480,000 transactions valuing over Rs. 34 billion using digital channels and instruments.
In a statement, the central bank said the campaign built on the success of similar initiatives undertaken in 2024 and 2025, with the coverage expanding from 54 cattle markets in 2025 to 123 markets this year. “Under the Go Cashless campaign, 22 participating banks established dedicated camps and kiosks in the assigned cattle markets to facilitate seamless digital transactions for buyers and sellers,” it said.
The relevant banks onboarded cattle sellers, transporters, and allied service providers onto digital channels through real-time biometric verification conducted within the markets and provided them with QR codes to enable the receipt of digital payments. “In addition, mobile banking vans were deployed in selected cattle markets, equipped with ATMs, cash counters, and cash deposit machines to provide on-site banking services,” it said, adding this enabled sellers to conveniently deposit surplus cash directly into the banking system, reducing the circulation of physical currency and supporting a more digitized payments environment.
“Teams from State Bank of Pakistan were also deployed in these markets, on round-the-clock basis, to facilitate the banks and their staff and resolve any issues,” it said. “To facilitate cattle merchants and support high value transactions, SBP introduced temporary enhancements to transaction limits from May 14-June 5. “Further, SBP also led an extensive nationwide awareness and outreach drive for the campaign, encompassing television, radio, print, and social media platforms, alongside banks’ awareness activities,” it said.
The SBP and industry efforts resulted in a significant increase in both the volume and value of digital transactions. Compared to 2025, the number of transactions recorded under the campaign increased more than sevenfold, rising from approximately 65,000 to 481,000 transactions, while the value of transactions surged from Rs. 4.6 billion to Rs. 34 billion in 2026. Around 12,500 new accounts for cattle farmers and allied service providers were opened during the activity.
“This growth reflects increasing public confidence in digital payment channels and demonstrates the effectiveness of SBP’s efforts to digitize traditionally cash-intensive sectors of the economy,” it said. “The success of the initiative has strengthened trust in digital financial services and laid a strong foundation for the sustained adoption of secure, efficient, and inclusive digital payment solutions in seasonal and high-volume markets across Pakistan,” it added.