Islamabad, 18 March 2026: Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA) and easypaisa digital bank signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote cashless banking across 93 villages under RUDA’s jurisdiction in a ceremony held at RUDA’s Head Office in Lahore.
The MoU was signed by Shahzad Khan, Chief Business Officer, easypaisa digital bank, and Brig. (Retd.) Bakhtiar Akram, Executive Director, Land Acquisition, RUDA. Senior officials from both organisations were present, including Bilal Saeed Khan and Umer Faraz Anjum from easypaisa, and Fatima Ali Khan, Ahad Yousuf, Syed Moazzam Ali and Raza Shahid from RUDA.
The agreement establishes a framework to raise awareness and improve accessibility to branchless services, integrating cashless banking into the design and delivery of services for Ravi City. Partners will work under the Prime Minister’s Cashless Pakistan Scheme to ensure digital payments and financial services are embedded across residential, commercial and public sectors so that digital transactions become the norm for everyday life.
Shahzad Khan noted that one in five Pakistanis now has an easypaisa account and highlighted the bank’s deep reach as it continues to expand its services. “This partnership underscores easypaisa’s commitment to fostering a financially inclusive economy by creating tangible impact at the grassroots level,” he said, adding that the collaboration will empower communities and support the State Bank’s cashless economy objectives.
Brig. (Retd.) Bakhtiar Akram described the collaboration as a clear example of how technology and development can converge to produce real impact, and reiterated RUDA’s aim to transform 93 villages into model communities of economic modernity aligned with UN SDGs. With over 59 million registered users and as Pakistan’s first digital bank to commence commercial operations, easypaisa will work with RUDA to extend financial products and services to the unbanked and underbanked populations within the authority’s jurisdiction.
