ISLAMABAD: China’s Special Envoy for Afghan Affairs, Yue Xiaoyong, will lead a delegation to attend a meeting on Afghanistan hosted by Pakistan on Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Wang Wenbin, said on Wednesday.
The "troika plus" meeting, due to take place in Islamabad, will include the Afghan Taliban's new foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.
“China supports Pakistan in hosting the extended troika meeting,” Wang said at a press briefing. “We support all efforts conducive for stability in Afghanistan to building up consensus in the world.”
China and Pakistan have both declined an invitation to attend a conference on Afghanistan being hosted by India this week.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and National Security Adviser Moeed Yusuf will chair Thursday’s meeting in Islamabad.
The US State Department’s Special Representative and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Afghanistan, Thomas West, and Russia’s Special Afghanistan Envoy Zamir Kabulov will also participate.
This is the first full-fledged meeting off the ”troika plus” since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in August. The last meeting was held in Doha on August 11.
China says will attend meeting on Afghanistan hosted by Pakistan
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China says will attend meeting on Afghanistan hosted by Pakistan
- China and Pakistan have both declined invite to conference on Afghanistan being hosted by India this week
- Thursday’s "troika plus" meeting in Islamabad will include Afghan Taliban's new foreign minister
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.”
