The State Bank of Pakistan’s Go Cashless campaign for Eid ul Azha 2026 has delivered its strongest results since the initiative was launched, recording more than 480,000 digital transactions valued at over Rs. 34 billion across cattle markets nationwide, marking a sevenfold increase in both transaction volume and value compared to the previous year.
The campaign was expanded significantly in 2026, increasing its reach from 54 cattle markets in 2025 to 123 markets nationwide, with 22 banks setting up dedicated facilitation camps and kiosks inside these markets to enable buyers and sellers to carry out real-time digital transactions. Under the initiative, sellers, transporters, and related service providers were onboarded onto digital payment systems through biometric verification conducted on-site, while Quick Response codes were issued to facilitate instant payments. The expansion reflects a deliberate push by the central bank to bring one of Pakistan’s most traditionally cash-heavy commercial events into the formal digital payments ecosystem, at a time when the overall Eid ul Azha animal trade is estimated to involve transactions worth hundreds of billions of rupees across the country.
The central bank supported the initiative by deploying teams across cattle markets around the clock to assist banks and address operational issues, and temporarily increased transaction limits between May 14 and June 5 to facilitate higher-value cattle purchases during the Eid season. A nationwide awareness campaign across television, radio, print, and social media platforms was also launched to encourage the use of digital payment methods. The scale of the growth is considerable when placed in context: digital transactions increased from approximately 65,000 in 2025 to 481,000 in 2026, while the total transaction value rose from Rs. 4.6 billion to Rs. 34 billion, and the initiative also resulted in the opening of around 12,500 new accounts for cattle farmers and related service providers.
The results signal a meaningful shift in behaviour within a segment of the economy that has historically resisted digital adoption due to the informal nature of livestock trading, the involvement of small-scale transporters and rural farmers, and the preference for cash in high-value spot transactions. The combined estimated value of animal trade and sacrifice during Eid ul Azha stands at around Rs. 641 billion, meaning digital payments still account for a small fraction of total seasonal activity, but the trajectory from Rs. 4.6 billion to Rs. 34 billion in a single year suggests that with sustained infrastructure investment and on-ground facilitation, the Go Cashless model has genuine potential to accelerate financial inclusion across Pakistan’s informal livestock economy in the years ahead.
Follow the SPIN IDG WhatsApp Channel for updates across the Smart Pakistan Insights Network covering all of Pakistan’s technology ecosystem.
