PM reaffirms commitment to stronger UN, hails Pakistan's digital economy gains

• Premier Shehbaz calls for faithful implementation of UN Charter, resolutions and international treaties during meeting with UN chief candidate Michelle Bachelet

• Reiterates Pakistan's support for multilateralism and UNs' central role in tackling global challenges

• Lauds economic team as QR code-based digital payments surge 300% and mobile banking users climb to 137m

• Directs authorities to ensure 100% of overseas remittances are routed through digital channels

 ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to strengthening multilateralism and upholding the United Nations Charter while separately hailing significant progress in the country's transition towards a cashless economy, saying expanded digital payments would enhance transparency, financial inclusion and sustainable economic growth.

The prime minister expressed these views during separate engagements at the Prime Minister's House, where he met Michelle Bachelet, candidate for the position of the United Nations Secretary-General, and later chaired a high-level meeting to review progress on the promotion of digital payments and a cashless economy.

During his meeting with Michelle Bachelet, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called for upholding the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, the faithful implementation of UN resolutions and international treaties, and balanced progress across the organisation's three core pillars—peace and security, development, and human rights.

Ms. Michelle Bachelet, candidate for the position of the UN Secretary General, called on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad. pic.twitter.com/tqU7ZQYJAG

— Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) July 14, 2026

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar and Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch also attended the meeting.

Welcoming Bachelet to Pakistan, the prime minister reiterated Islamabad's strong support for strengthening multilateralism and ensuring the United Nations continued to play its central role in addressing global challenges.

Islamabad: 14 July 2026.

Ms. Michelle Bachelet, candidate for the position of the UN Secretary General, called on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif at the Prime Minister House in Islamabad today.

Deputy Prime Minister & Foreign Minister Sen. Muhammad Ishaq Dar and Foreign… pic.twitter.com/9GwhuSjsCb

— Prime Minister's Office (@PakPMO) July 14, 2026

He also stressed the need for enhanced international cooperation and greater focus on accelerating the implementation of the global development agenda.

Michelle Bachelet commended Pakistan's historic and invaluable contributions to the United Nations and appreciated the country's continued role in promoting regional and international peace and security.

Economic team lauded for major progress in digital payments

In a separate meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised his economic team for achieving substantial progress in promoting digital payments and advancing Pakistan's transition towards a cashless economy over the past year.

Chairing a meeting on the promotion of a cashless economy and digital payments, the prime minister said the shift would improve transparency, strengthen financial inclusion and contribute to sustainable economic growth.

He commended the economic team for increasing the number of active merchants using QR code-based digital payments by 300 per cent within a year and described the rise in mobile banking application users from 95 million to 137 million as a major achievement.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif chairs a review meeting regarding promotion of cashless economy and digital payments. Islamabad, 14 July 2026. pic.twitter.com/CXacQx1vT9

— Prime Minister's Office (@PakPMO) July 14, 2026

The prime minister directed the authorities to further intensify awareness campaigns to encourage wider adoption of QR code-based digital payments among merchants. He also urged banks and financial institutions to play a more proactive role in accelerating the country's transition towards a cashless economy.

He further directed that 100 per cent of overseas remittances should be received through digital channels.

The prime minister also appreciated the initiative to shift Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) payments to a digital platform, describing the system as more transparent, faster and more convenient for beneficiaries.

During the briefing, officials informed the meeting that between June 2025 and June 2026, the number of merchants receiving digital payments had increased by 300 per cent to 2,003,000, while 99 per cent of NADRA's payments had been digitised and cash-based payments had declined from 71 per cent to just 1 per cent.

اسلام آباد: 14 جولائی 2026.

وزیراعظم محمد شہباز شریف کی زیرِ صدارت کیش لیس معیشت اور ڈیجیٹل ادائیگیوں کے فروغ پر اجلاس آج اسلام آباد میں منعقد ہوا.

وزیراعظم نے گزشتہ ایک سال کے دوران پاکستان کی معیشت کو ڈیجیٹل ادائیگیوں پر مبنی کیش لیس معیشت میں تبدیل کرنے کی پیش رفت پر معاشی… pic.twitter.com/wVII0ESjM4

— Prime Minister's Office (@PakPMO) July 14, 2026

The meeting was further informed that payments to all 10 million Benazir Income Support Programme beneficiaries were now being made through digital wallets, while the number of mobile banking application users had reached 137 million.

Officials said that between July 2025 and June 2026, a total of 11.9 billion digital transactions had been recorded.

During the past year, 92 per cent of remittances sent by overseas Pakistanis were received through digital channels.

The prime minister was also informed that an independent third-party validation of the cashless economy initiative was currently underway and that the final report, along with its recommendations, would be presented in November 2026.

The Pakistan Banks' Association has assigned targets to its member banks to further promote digital payments, including the RAAST instant payment system.