By Syed Tauqeer Zaidi
DERA ISMAIL KHAN: An online meeting was held to encourage the trader community to adopt cashless business practices, with participation from State Bank offices in Azad Kashmir, Islamabad, Peshawar and Dera Ismail Khan.
The banking session was supervised by Additional Director Tahir Naeem. Key participants included Chief Manager Waqar Ali Khan from D.I. Khan, Assistant Chief Manager Muhammad Amir Ejaz from Rawalpindi, and Rizwan Khalil Shamsi from Islamabad. Deputy chief managers from Azad Kashmir and Peshawar also attended the meeting.
From Dera Ismail Khan, representatives of the central traders’ association, including President Suhail Azmi, Muhammad Ramzan, Ghulam Subhani, Khalid Hussain, Muhammad Zeeshan, Muhammad Arshad Baloch, Muhammad Yousaf and Sheikh Majeed Ahmed, were present.
During the session, officials from the State Bank shared their views on digital banking and cashless transactions. Traders raised several concerns, including the need for awareness programmes, ATM transaction charges, reported incidents of account hacking, difficulties in opening bank accounts and persistent network issues.
They also demanded the provision of banking literature in Urdu and proper maintenance of ATM machines. Traders further urged authorities to establish a permanent State Bank building in Dera Ismail Khan.
Additional Director Tahir Naeem assured participants that their concerns would be reviewed and forwarded to the relevant authorities. He thanked all participants at the conclusion of the meeting.
