Raast From 16 November 2026: Government Asaan Assignment Payments Move, QR Codes on 45 Million Bills and Every NADRA Centre

We read the Press Information Department release (PR No. 148) on pid.gov.pk on the evening of 12 November. Minister of State for Finance and Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani chaired the meeting. It followed the Prime Minister's own Cashless Pakistan meeting the Friday before. Here is what was announced, what it means for you, and what the release leaves unanswered.

Asaan Assignment Account payments move to Raast from 16 November

From Monday 16 November 2026, payments made through Asaan Assignment Accounts nationwide will run on Raast. The release says Drawing and Disbursing Officers have already been trained. A Drawing and Disbursing Officer, or DDO, is the official in each government office who signs off and pays bills.

An assignment account is a government bank account that a department uses to pay for project work and other spending. In plain words, the money a government office pays out to suppliers, contractors and others should now reach the receiver through Raast. Raast payments arrive in seconds, and they go to a bank account, wallet or Raast ID.

The release does not say who exactly receives these payments, or whether the receiver must have a Raast ID. If you supply goods or services to a federal office, ask its DDO which account details they need. Our guide on how to create a Raast ID on your mobile number shows the steps in a bank app.

Raast QR codes are now on more than 45 million gas and electricity bills

The Finance Division says Raast QR codes are now printed on all gas and electricity bills, more than 45 million of them. You can scan the code with a bank or wallet app and pay from home, without a bank queue or an agent. This is the claim in the release.

We have not checked a sample of bills ourselves, so we cannot confirm that every company prints the code yet. Look near the amount box on your next bill. If you find the code, our guide to paying by Raast QR in a bank app covers the scan steps.

Every NADRA centre now takes Raast QR payments

All NADRA centres now accept Raast QR for service payments, according to the release. So when you renew a CNIC or apply for a B-Form, you can pay by scanning the centre's QR code with your bank app. You do not need cash in hand.

The fees themselves have not changed. Our list of NADRA fees for every document shows what each service costs. NADRA's own website did not carry a notice about Raast QR when we looked on 12 November.

The committee asked the State Bank for a paper on Raast QR merchant fees

The committee directed the State Bank of Pakistan to prepare a working paper on a Raast QR Merchant Discount Rate scheme. A merchant discount rate, or MDR, is the small fee a shop pays on each digital sale. The paper is meant to keep Raast QR attractive for shops. The release gives no deadline and does not say whether customers would pay anything.

Other directions from the meeting:

1. Track the value and number of unique users of digital payments, not only the count of transactions, on the PM's dashboard.
2. The State Bank should look at wider indicators, such as the ratio of RTGS payments to the size of the economy.
3. The Minister of State will meet bank presidents in Karachi to push more banks to join. No date was given.
4. Public and private bodies should work more closely on the drive.

Officials from the Finance Division, the State Bank, the IT Ministry and NADRA attended. Private attendees included two digital banks, two wallets and two commercial banks, plus Karandaaz Pakistan.

What is still not clear

The release is an announcement, not a notification. It does not explain how Asaan Assignment Accounts differ from ordinary assignment accounts, and the Finance Division has not published a circular on its website that we could find. The State Bank's website refused our automated request, so we could not read its Raast pages directly on 12 November.

Three things to watch: a Finance Division circular on the 16 November change, any State Bank decision on the MDR scheme, and whether that scheme adds a charge for shops or customers. We will update this page when any of these appear.

Common questions

What changes on 16 November 2026?

Payments from Asaan Assignment Accounts, which government offices use to pay out money, move to the Raast instant payment system nationwide.

Can I pay my electricity bill with a QR code?

The Finance Division says Raast QR codes are on all gas and electricity bills, more than 45 million. Scan the code on your bill with a bank or wallet app that supports Raast.

Can I pay NADRA fees by Raast QR?

Yes, according to the 12 November release. All NADRA centres now accept Raast QR for service payments.

Is there a fee for paying by Raast QR?

The release does not mention any charge for customers. The State Bank has been asked to prepare a paper on a merchant fee scheme, which applies to shops.

Who chaired the Cashless Pakistan meeting?

Minister of State for Finance and Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani, at the Finance Division in Islamabad, on 12 November 2026.

How many shops accept digital payments in Pakistan?

About 2.03 million active merchants, up from 0.5 million, according to the release. It does not give the period for that rise.

Sources: Press Information Department, PR No. 148, Islamabad, 12 November 2026, on pid.gov.pk. Last checked 12 November 2026.