UAE arm of International Red Cross launches Ramadan project in Pakistan

The screengrab from a video shared by the UAE consulate in Karachi on March 2, 2025, shows people eating iftar boxes donated by Emirates Red Crescent in Pakistan. (UAE consulate in Karachi/Screengrab)
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Updated 03 March 2025
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UAE arm of International Red Cross launches Ramadan project in Pakistan

  • Emirates Red Crescent distributes iftar boxes in rural areas of Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan
  • Pakistan marked beginning of Ramadan on Sunday, in which Muslims fast from dawn to dusk

KARACHI: The Emirates Red Crescent is distributing thousands of iftar boxes in the rural areas of Pakistan’s Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan provinces, the UAE consulate said recently, reiterating its commitment to spreading joy among impoverished Pakistanis without discrimination. 

Every year the Emirates Red Crescent distributes iftar boxes in Pakistan during the holy month of Ramadan, during which Muslims fast from dawn to dusk and increasingly engage in the remembrance of the Almighty. 

The Emirates Red Crescent distributed thousands of iftar boxes among poor Pakistanis in Ramadan last year as well. 

“Thousands of people fasting are receiving the blessings of iftar every day through the iftar dastarkhwan [project] by the Red Crescent,” a statement by the UAE consulate in Karachi said on Sunday. “This is being carried out in the rural and backward areas of Sindh, Balochistan and Punjab.”

The consulate said that the Red Crescent’s first priority is distributing iftar boxes prepared in accordance with the highest standards of hygiene to people. 

Emirates Red Crescent Director Hamad Bakheet Ateeq Al Remeithi said spreading happiness and smiles on the faces of one’s own brings heartfelt satisfaction. 

“The series of love that begins with the month of Ramadan will double the joy of Eid Al-Fitr,” Remeithi said. 

Ramadan is observed by Muslims worldwide through fasting from dawn to sunset, with most practicing Muslims considering it a time of spiritual reflection, self-discipline and devotion. Fasting serves as a means of strengthening faith and developing empathy for the less fortunate.

Pakistan welcomed the start of the holy month on Sunday, a day after the ninth month of the Islamic Hijri calendar began in Saudi Arabia.


Pakistan bank enables Shariah-compliant digital payment facility for passengers at Islamabad airport

Updated 23 February 2026
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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.”