Fawad set to introduce cellular payment system
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ISLAMABAD: After successfully launching Pakistan’s first moon-sighting website and a calendar, Science and Technology Minister Fawad Chaudhry has come up with a new plan to introduce a payment system that will operate through mobile phones only.
“During a visit to China, I observed that every person was paying bills through cell phones. After reaching Pakistan I decided to introduce an integrated system due to which everything, from banana to car, will be purchased through cellphones,” Mr Chaudhry said while talking to Dawn.
It is worth mentioning that the website and calendar, launched by the minister, shows main Islamic dates and months for the next five years based on scientific evidence. The website, pakmoonsighting.pk, has been launched “to halt the moon-sighting controversy” that raises its head in the country every year prior to religious festivals.
He said that with the passage of time credit and debit cards would be abolished and all the things would be shifted to cell phones.
“We already have a system through which different banks and cellular companies receive utility bills through mobile apps.
‘‘However, I have decided to take banks and cellular companies on board to implement the brainchild of Ministry of Science and Technology,” he said.
Mr Chaudhry said that he had talked to the finance ministry and had also taken the State Bank governor into confidence on the matter. “I am hopeful that we will introduce the integrated system in Pakistan and after that people would be able to pay their bills through cell phones,” he said.
Application filed against minister
Meanwhile, Mufti Inamul Haq has filed a complaint with the Secretariat Police Station, alleging that Mr Chaudhry had deliberately violated norms of Islam and Sharia by introducing a moon-sighting calendar.
In the complaint, available with Dawn, it is stated that the minister had also used derogatory remarks against the religious figures and hurt the sentiments of the masses.
Mufti Inam has requested the Secretariat Police to lodge a First Information Report against Mr Chaudhry.
Published in Dawn, May 28th, 2019
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Comments (58) Closed
May 28, 2019 07:58am
Good work!! Let us not make this scientific development a bone of contention and use it to bring in consensus and for the facilitation of Sharia activity. Religious scholars would be a better judge of how to use this facility, a) as a lone decider b) in combination with actual moon sighting activity c)use it only to remove division over moon sighting. As a nation we need to understand that united we stand. Instead of creating divides let's try to have consensus after consultation between the science and tech ministry n religious affairs ministry. Let's keep working together and have patience and tolerance to support each other. We CAN DO IT TOGETHER!!
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May 28, 2019 08:07am
Atleast he is doing something
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May 28, 2019 08:08am
Mufti Inam Sohib, It will be better for you live in nomadic life rather then in 20th century. All over the world Governments are using and taking care of their business using modern tools available for religious coordination. Pakistan should not be different then any other international community.
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May 28, 2019 08:16am
Good Show! Fawad keep it up!
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May 28, 2019 08:18am
Cool. Excellent.
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May 28, 2019 08:25am
Sir, you are on the right track but make sure it is all implemented.
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May 28, 2019 08:30am
Honestly, he is doing his job. It will take time but he is definitely thinking about Pakistani Awam rather than his pockets.
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May 28, 2019 08:41am
@Saleha Majid (SM), panchang or almanac had been in use in the Indian subcontinent for hundreds of years. This accurately predicted the positions of all planets and the moon on any day of the year for a period of 5 years or more. This is nothing new that our minister has discovered? He needs to be more informed and adopt and adapt with technology from across the world rather than just make announcments as if he has invented something
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May 28, 2019 08:43am
Making calender is good what about corruption of karachi water board.my water line not restore for last 10 years as I did not and will not pay bribe to them fron USA
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May 28, 2019 08:57am
So when FC hears or sees something for first time himself, he believes he is the very first? Mobile payments is well known and already in process and being implemented, but it's a process! Stop trying to appropriate others work and making premature announcements to get credit. Its incredibly immature, but it seems immaturity is a hallmark or prequalification to be part of this new regime.
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May 28, 2019 09:03am
I am beginning to like minister Fawad. As others have said "at least he is doing something positive in his new job"
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May 28, 2019 09:25am
Mufti is very right to challenge Choudhry as he and others professionals will face unemployment and religious monoply issue.
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May 28, 2019 09:39am
Good
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May 28, 2019 09:43am
The example of Fawad Chaudhry is just like a child who does not sit at one place and do his home work properly with dedication and instead ask several people how to complete his home work by asking several people at a time.
The entire system is not so fast that it can be changed overnight in Pakistan with the help of technology and it's going to take years and years to go through to it.
After the issue of moon sightening controversy through hubble, or whatever, now he is bent upon discontinuing banks credit and debit cards and wants people to purchase every thing and make payment through mobile phones.
Fawad Chaudhry is going to make the life of an ordinary man miserable. I am a legal minded person and always pay my utilities bills through banks so that it should bear the electronic or rubber stamp on each and every utility bill so that in case or dispute if any utility company deny that I have not paid the concerned utility bill I can show it to them and prove it on the bill.
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May 28, 2019 09:44am
Congrats Fawad Chaudhry, you did best in Ministry of S& T. Keep it up.
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May 28, 2019 10:01am
Fawad Choudary is probably the only PTI minister who means business. Hope he succeeds in fixing that moon sighting issue.
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May 28, 2019 10:02am
Basically he is talking about e-wallet...which is not something new, he has to inform himself well...e-wallets are basically connected to bank accounts.
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May 28, 2019 10:08am
well that will be an excellent step. Mobile payment will help bringing everyone in tax net. I am in shanghai and we here rarely use paper money. All the payment is done through Ali pay and wechat. Life is very easy here no need to carry money.
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May 28, 2019 10:10am
Probably allowing us to use cryptocurrency
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May 28, 2019 10:19am
If These mullahs were really following Islam then we would not be having these problems. They make most of the time small matters into controversy. These mullahs were also against creating Pakistan and now they want to own Pakistan.
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May 28, 2019 10:36am
@Musti Sheikh, just keep doing what you are and stop talking and poking your nose into matters you do not understand.
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May 28, 2019 11:00am
@Tamir, well, its not whether the calendars were present or not, it is that no one had the guts to propose the use of those calendars. Again, any opportunity to remove divide is appreciable. Division would only create undue weakening of the nation. Consolidate and try to pitch in a positive manner. By the let's get out of the mind set or credits and discredits and move forward contributing positively.
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May 28, 2019 11:06am
Some productive activity...
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May 28, 2019 11:24am
Great, good luck.
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May 28, 2019 11:25am
What about cryptocurrency? Please legalize it!
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May 28, 2019 11:45am
In fact Mufti Inam should be arrested for creating hatred and chaos.
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May 28, 2019 11:54am
When the Minister of Science and Technology dreams about mobile initiated payments, instead of the Finance folks, then it shows that this simple technology is still appearing to be rocket science to him. This involves more of finance than anything else. Any such system would be a farce unless all the bank accounts and transactions are digitized first. Every bank account holder has to be identified uniquely and connected to his/her NADRA NIC ID. Just creating a toy app would have no value. We can only build a stable & reliable structure bottom up, starting at the foundation. Not the facade first
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May 28, 2019 12:01pm
The job of science and technology ministry is to create enabling environment for the growth and progress of science and technology in the country. Like introducing policies, setting up technology parks, focusing in emerging technologies that will solve the problems faced by a country. Since he has become minister he is running the ministry like high school science project coordinator - launching a lunar calendar website or acting like an aspiring enterprenuer who wants to start a fintech payment solution.
Please work on such policy initiative which will bring foreign technology transfers in the country (like Israel ), boost creation of home grown technology, and develop technology based economy.
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May 28, 2019 12:13pm
Mufti Inam is only worried about his personal interest. What a shameless "Mulla".
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May 28, 2019 12:14pm
He is very clear. He says where he got the idea from. He saw people using it in China. Seems to be a good idea. Let us be positive. Small steps eventually will transform us. Good initiative.
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May 28, 2019 12:18pm
We have never had such an active and effective science and tech minister. The ministry of science and tech has come alive!
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May 28, 2019 12:22pm
@Musti Sheikh, it's 21st century sir.
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May 28, 2019 12:23pm
I am currently in China and the Minister is right that I have never used paper money in my last two years everything is online from beggars to the supermarkets every payment is online. However, we need sustainable IT and electricity infrastructure for successful implementation.
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May 28, 2019 12:26pm
@Sam, "Atleast he is doing something", yes being in news is also considered as doing something in Naya Pakistan.
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May 28, 2019 12:28pm
Excellent Minister Fawad, we hope to see more technological advancements introduced in various fields in Pakistan.
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May 28, 2019 12:32pm
I think he's taken the message from IK, and at least doing something. I personally like the moon sighting calendar idea. These outdated mullahs need to earn their living by doing mehnat mazdoori, like common people
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May 28, 2019 12:50pm
@Syed A. Mateen , you have not understood Mobile phone payment procedure. Safer than using cards and cash, actually it uses all the functionality of a debit card and you will get legally binding electronic vouchers. Plus saves time and no more problem of change. Above all by executing effective legislation govt can track all the transactions to work out incomes of both consumer and seller.
Perhaps Mr choudhury himself is quite unsure how mobile phones r used for transactions. Either you must have a wallet or an app linked directly to your account.
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May 28, 2019 01:03pm
What useless efforts. The moon sight app cost 1000$ US dollars to develop.
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May 28, 2019 01:11pm
This Mufti is living in the past.
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May 28, 2019 01:16pm
Just don't involve SUPARCO in this project. They're busy with Hubble.
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May 28, 2019 01:17pm
Mufti Inam is the victim of his own ignorance that must not effect the community's interests through scientific enlightenment.
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May 28, 2019 01:29pm
Well done Fawad! You did best in Ministry of Information and we hope more reliefs to people of Pakistan through innovations. One suggestion, in UAE the TOLL Tax is paid by electronic scanners linked with chip placed on the front screen of vehicle, which is cost efficient and 100% recoveries to government. Please introduce that kind of service to avoid people time and money wasted.
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May 28, 2019 01:35pm
In Europe every shoppings and utilities bills are paid by cell phones. Europe is going to be cashless continent very soon.,
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May 28, 2019 02:04pm
A good initiative. Minister should keep on introducing innovations/ applications of technology in all walks of life and all sectors of economy.
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May 28, 2019 02:22pm
The critics should know that he is not presenting it as a novel idea that occured to him, but rather its widespread implementation is what he is after. Some people suggested that science and technology ministry was a demotion for him, but showing himself productive in whichever capacity he serves in, he is proving himself to be one of the most deserving of holding an office among all Pakistani politicians.
Whereas mufti sahab filing for an FIR is part of the status quo that kept Pakistan in the dark ages. They're basically using religious sentiments to gain power without having done anything useful.
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May 28, 2019 02:51pm
@Asif, Mufti does understand everything. He understands that he can no longer line his pockets due to technology. Well done PK move forward and work together.
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May 28, 2019 03:00pm
I still don't understand - is Fawad Ch minister of science and technology; or minister for IT and Net services? He should do something useful like finding a cure for cancer or putting the first Pakistani astronaut in space or developing some unique new technology that will revolutionise industry in the country. What's he got to do with banking? Why is mobile banking a priority here?
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May 28, 2019 03:04pm
This minister will do some wonder in Science and Technology!!
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May 28, 2019 03:13pm
Great move, mobile only banks have only just started to take off in the west and the first time I used one I thought how perfect this would be for a country like Pakistan. You can make payments via mobile phone just by having a relatives number.
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May 28, 2019 03:16pm
@Syed A. Mateen , actually walk around countries in the west and this is already happening but I guess people like you want Pakistan to always stay two decades behind the rest of the world.
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May 28, 2019 03:18pm
@HisMaster your confused. He’s talking about mobile banks. Look into banks like Monzo, N26 or Revolut this is what he is talking about and it’s a new thing even in the west.
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May 28, 2019 03:31pm
It seems he is doing far better here as compared to his former job as information Minister.
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May 28, 2019 03:37pm
Mufti Sahib
Do you use watch to determine daily prayers timings or guess the prayers time by looking at the sun or shadow of things. Using technology for five daily prayers but resisting its use for moon birth dates is not comprehensible.
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May 28, 2019 04:01pm
Is this a joke?
E Wallets have been around for sometime now. In any case I would expect the Central Bank and Finance Ministry to take the lead on this.
'Credit and debit cards will be abolished' - is the Central Bank on the same page as this guy?
Islamic Calendars and now this. In a country which demonized it's only Science Nobel Winner, are these the right priorities for the S & T Minister?
What's more tragic - people are praising this guy because he's doing 'something'...really??
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May 28, 2019 04:38pm
In Africa they have also been using this system for some time now.
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May 28, 2019 04:39pm
Jiyo Fawad Choudhry! that is what we expect from PTI ministers. Give them a dead engine and with their competencies they should be able to revive it and modify it to do the tasks to get the results.
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May 28, 2019 04:59pm
@Gaffer jalibewala, wether in US, Canada or elsewhere we Pakistanis always want to discuss things out of the topic.
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May 29, 2019 06:02pm
What happens when our cell phones get snatched on gun point?! We will lose everything. How about first fix all the most important issues like security, water, electricity, law and order and then think of advancing technologically.
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