aik by BankIslami, Pakistan’s first Islamic Digital Banking Platform, has partnered with AA Enterprises, operating under Shalimar Express, to digitise ticketing and cargo payments nationwide.
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The partnership brings one of Pakistan’s largest cash-heavy transit networks into the formal digital economy, in line with the State Bank of Pakistan’s Go-Cashless national drive.
The partnership was formally inaugurated in Lahore, in the presence of senior leadership from BankIslami, aik and AA Enterprises. Attendees included BankIslami’s President & CEO, Rizwan Ata, Dy Chief Executive Officer, Imran H Shaikh, Chief Operations Officer, Sohail Sikandar, Chief Risk Officer, Sajjad Qureshi, Group Head Distribution and Business banking, Kabir Qureshi, Branch Banking Head (Central), Aasim Salim, General Manager (Central I), Madieh Khawar, Area Manager (Cantt), Umair Hassan Khan and Branch Manager (Airport Road), Basharat Bhatti; aik Digital’s Chief Officer, Ashfaque Ahmed, and Chief Business Officer, Muhammad Ghuffran Abbasi; and CEO, Irfan Ali Bhatti and Chief Executive, Shehryar Bhatti from AA Enterprises, along with other senior leadership.
Under this agreement, aik has deploy Raast QR payments backed by audio Soundboxes across AA Enterprises’ 40 passenger terminals and cargo hubs nationwide. The move replaces physical cash handling with real-time digital payments, giving commuters and operators immediate voice confirmations for every transaction.
Digitising mass transit is a critical step toward Pakistan’s financial evolution,” said Ashfaque Ahmed, Chief Officer of aik Digital. “Transport and logistics represent the heartbeat of our daily economy, yet they have historically relied on physical cash. This partnership extends aik’s digital footprint into essential transport corridors, bridging traditional operations with modern fintech infrastructure to drive financial inclusion,” he added.
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In the next phase, the partnership will add train ticketing to the aik Digital app and integrate Dynamic QR Codes for instant online payments. This initiative expands cashless adoption across key mobility networks, reinforcing aik Digital’s commitment to BankIslami’s mission of furthering ethical, technology-driven digital finance.
By digitising essential public mobility and freight networks, aik Digital reinforces its commitment to financial inclusion, advancing BankIslami’s mission of Saving Humanity from Riba through ethical, accessible, and technology-driven Shariah-compliant financial solutions.
