ISLAMABAD: A meeting of Pakistan’s National Security Council (NSC) was convened on Wednesday to review security measures following terror attacks in Pakistan and Afghanistan, a local daily reported.
The prime minister presided over the meeting, which was attended by the defense and interior ministers, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, the three armed-services chiefs, the director general of Inter-Services Intelligence, and the national security advisor.
The meeting was called after 26 people were killed in two successive attacks in neighboring Afghanistan.
In light of a series of deadly suicide bombings and targeted killings, the security situation along Pakistan’s eastern and western borders was also discussed, Geo News reported.
In Quetta, more than a dozen people, including members of the Hazara Shiite community, have been killed.
Chief of Army Staff Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa on Tuesday visited Quetta and met with Hazara leaders protesting the continued spate of killings.
After observing and analyzing the security situation in Quetta, he offered his condolences to bereaved families and prayed for the deceased. “Those who targeted them shall suffer twice as much,” he said.
Pakistan National Security Council convened after terror attacks
Pakistan National Security Council convened after terror attacks
Pakistan bank enables Shariah-compliant digital payment facility for passengers at Islamabad airport
Pakistan bank enables Shariah-compliant digital payment facility for passengers at Islamabad airport
- Pakistan is a cash-dominated market where a significant portion of transactions in the informal sector are made without any taxes, officials say
- The move comes amid Pakistan’s efforts to introduce a cashless model at airports under which only digital service providers can provide services
KARACHI: Aik, Pakistan’s first Islamic digital bank, has enabled fully digital payments at Islamabad International Airport to offer travelers and passengers secure, Shariah compliant digital transaction facility.
The development comes amid Pakistan’s efforts to introduce a cashless model at airports across the country, under which only digital service providers can provide services to customers.
Aik, a subsidiary of Bank Islami, said it has onboarded merchants across the Islamabad airport and integrated QR code deployments at key touchpoints to allow passengers and visitors to make secure, seamless, and Shariah-compliant digital transactions at all counters, retail outlets, and service points.
It said the implementation complies with the regulations and framework set by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and is a working model for a large-scale adoption of cashless systems in public infrastructure.
“This deployment reflects our commitment to building practical digital infrastructure that improves everyday transactions,” Aik Chief Officer Ashfaque Ahmed said in a statement.
“By enabling a fully cashless environment at a major national gateway, we are supporting efficiency, transparency, and financial inclusion at scale. This is not only a project; it is a foundation for Pakistan’s cashless future.”
Pakistan is a cash-dominated market where a significant portion of transactions, particularly in the informal sector, are conducted in cash. Officials say many of these transactions are aimed at avoiding taxes.
In recent years, the SBP has taken steps to ensure a transition toward a more cashless economy so that transactions are more traceable, reducing chances of tax evasion and corruption.
By digitizing Islamabad airport, aik said it continues to invest in secure and accessible financial solutions that “expand digital participation and support national economic modernization.”
