ISLAMABAD — The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved a $70 million loan for the Connected Punjab Program (CPP), a massive initiative aimed at scaling up high-speed broadband internet, launching AI-driven public services, and building an interoperable cashless payment ecosystem across the province.
The provincial initiative is designed to plug directly into Pakistan’s federal digital pipeline, working in tandem with the national Digital Economy Enhancement Project (DEEP) to ensure tech investments reach ordinary citizens and local businesses.
News Release: Pakistan: New Support for Punjab’s Digital Transformation will Help Expand Broadband Access and Improve Service Delivery. Read here: https://t.co/efxl2dLFlp
— World Bank Group Pakistan (@WBG_Pakistan) July 1, 2026
According to Bolormaa Amgaabazar, the World Bank Country Director for Pakistan, digital connectivity has shifted from being a luxury to becoming the core “infrastructure of opportunity.” The funding aims to close the digital divide, particularly for underserved urban populations, women, and the youth.
To achieve this, the program will aggressively cut red tape for the private sector. By slashing average Right-of-Way permitting timelines from 90 days down to just 21 days, the government hopes to unlock at least $50 million in private infrastructure investment. This regulatory shift is projected to expand fixed broadband coverage from 7.8 million to 9.9 million citizens by June 2031.
Beyond basic connectivity, the project plans a significant artificial intelligence integration. Funding will be directed toward state-of-the-art government cloud computing infrastructure, allowing provincial and local departments to run scalable, AI-enabled public services.
The initiative plans to reach 28.9 million people via digital government channels by 2031. A critical benchmark of this rollout is gender inclusivity, with the target of increasing the share of women utilizing online public services from 19 percent to 30 percent.
The third pillar of the program targets the province’s cash-heavy economy. Through the rollout of a centralized Digital Invoice Management System, the province will integrate transactional reporting, government billing, and digital bank transfers. The goal is to transition at least 350,000 active users to cashless payment platforms over the next five years.
The $70 million credit line is being provided by the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA). It forms part of a much larger $278 million provincial modernization pool, with the Government of Punjab providing the remaining $208 million in counterpart equity.
