Minister of State and Chairman PVARA, @Bilalbinsaqib, spoke at the @pointzeroforum 2026 in Zurich. The forum brought together global financial leaders to discuss the next phase of financial infrastructure, spanning from CBDCs to a new reality where AI agents transact autonomously on the blockchain. Pakistan's presence at the forum reflects its intent to shape these frameworks, not inherit them.

Minister of State and Chairman PVARA, @BilalBinSaqib, was invited as Chief Guest at the closing ceremony of the AI Governance Workshop for the 54th Common Training Programme batch at the Civil Services Academy, Lahore. Addressing 217 officers, he conveyed a clear message, for the first time, reform no longer waits on resources, grants, or seniority. AI puts the power to build, act, and improve governance in the hands of every officer, starting exactly where they stand today.

The Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA) invites stakeholders to a live public webinar on the draft Pakistan Virtual Asset Services Regulations, 2026 and the accompanying Activity-Specific Handbooks. Date: Wednesday, 24 June 2026 Time: 3:00 PM (PKT) Online (MS Teams). Pre-registration required. The session will walk through the proposed framework, including the NOC-to-licence pathway, the ten licence categories, fit-and-proper requirements, transitional arrangements, and the Activity-Specific Handbooks, followed by a moderated Q&A. Written comments are open until 4:00 PM (PKT) on 2 July 2026. Register: events.teams.microsoft.com/e…

Chairman PVARA & Minister of State @BilalBinSaqib was invited as Chief Guest at the closing ceremony of the 4-day AI governance training workshop at the Civil Services Academy Lahore, where he addressed officers of the 54th Common Training Programme and distributed certificates among them. In his address, he urged officers to move from file-based administration toward AI-enabled, data-driven governance, treating technology as a tool for faster decisions, improved public service delivery, and more effective governance.

Chairman PVARA and Minister of State @BilalBinSaqib MBE in a fireside chat at Unconference'26 by @paklaunchdotcom, joined by founders and investors from across the ecosystem. From virtual asset regulation to stablecoin rails, the conversation explored what Pakistan's new financial infrastructure unlocks for builders today. 240 million people. 100 million unbanked. One of the fastest growing crypto adoption curve on earth. Pakistan isn't waiting for the future of finance, we're building it.

The Pakistan Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (PVARA) has officially released the draft Virtual Asset Services Regulations, 2026 for public consultation. We invite exchanges, custodians, financial institutions, legal professionals, and all individual stakeholders to review the framework and share their valuable insights. Deadline: July 2, 2026 | 4:00 PM PKT Submit comments to: consultation@pvara.gov.pk Read the full draft & handbooks: pvara.gov.pk/consultations/v…

Chairman PVARA, @BilalBinSaqib, met Joe Tsai, Co-founder and Chairman of @AlibabaGroup, alongside the Prime Minister of Pakistan. The engagement marks a major milestone in Pakistan’s technology trajectory, following the strategic MoU signed between the Ministry of IT & Telecom and Alibaba to help build Pakistan’s digital future.

During his official visit to China, the Minister of State and Chairman of PVARA, @bilalbinsaqib, was hosted at @Huawei global headquarters. The engagement provided valuable insight into Huawei’s broader technology ecosystem, spanning hardware, connectivity, cloud, computing, artificial intelligence, smart devices and next generation digital infrastructure.

Sovereign debt tokenization is now on the table in Pakistan. Federal Finance Minister Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb met today with PVARA Chairman Bilal Bin Saqib to discuss the tokenization of Pakistan's sovereign debt instruments and Naya Pakistan Certificates. Speaking after the meeting, Chairman @BilalBinSaqib said: "The financial system of the next century will not run on paper, manual processes, or fragmented rails. It will run on programmable infrastructure, real-time settlement, and borderless digital networks. Pakistan has an opportunity to leapfrog legacy systems and position itself among the countries building the financial architecture of the future." PVARA, the Ministry of Finance, and the State Bank of Pakistan will continue technical and institutional coordination on frameworks, benchmarking, and pilot design.

From taboo to framework and framework to opportunity. A deep dive into digital assets, AI, and the architecture of the next economy. Chairman PVARA and Minister of State @Bilalbinsaqib in conversation at the Leadership Summit at @LifeAtLums Center for Digital Asset Research

لاہور: یکم مئی، 2026. وزیراعظم محمد شہباز شریف سے وزیر مملکت اور چیئرمین پاکستان ورچوئل ایسیٹس ریگولیٹری اتھارٹی بلال بن ثاقب کی ملاقات ہوئی. وزیرِ اعظم محمد شہباز شریف نے ہدیات کی کہ پاکستان میں ڈیجیٹل معیشت کے فروغ اور سرمایہ کاروں کے اعتماد میں اضافے کیلئے ورچوئل اثاثہ جات کے شعبے میں مؤثر اور عالمی معیار کے مطابق ریگولیٹری نظام کو جلد از جلد مکمل طور پر فعال بنایا جائے. وزیرِ اعظم نے اپنی گفتگو کے دوران کہا کہ نوجوانوں کو جدید ٹیکنالوجی، بالخصوص مصنوعی ذہانت اور ڈیجیٹل فنانس کے شعبوں میں تربیت فراہم کرنے کیلئے خصوصی اقدامات کئے جائیں تاکہ ملک کی افرادی قوت کو مستقبل کے تقاضوں سے ہم آہنگ کیا جا سکے. بلال بن ثاقب نے وزیراعظم محمد شہباز شریف کو پاکستان ورچوئل ایسیٹس ریگولیٹری اتھارٹی کی آپریشنل ریگولیٹر میں منتقلی اور ریگولیٹری سینڈ باکس کے افتتاح پر بریفنگ دی. بریفنگ میں بتایا کہ اے آئی سے چلنے والی ادائیگیوں اور ریگولیٹڈ ورچوئل اثاثوں کی خدمات جیسے شعبوں میں جدت لائی جا رہی ہے. مزید بتایا کہ اس معاشی تبدیلی کی اگلی لہر کیلئے قومی اداروں، افرادی قوت اور ریگولیٹری فریم ورک کی تیاری پر کام جاری ہے.

Prime Minister @CMShehbaz met Chairman PVARA and Minister of State @BilalBinSaqib He directed that Pakistan’s globally aligned virtual assets framework be made fully operational at the earliest to strengthen investor confidence, advance the digital economy, and prepare youth for AI and digital finance.

Pakistan is not watching the future of finance from the sidelines. We are building the rails for it. At the Prime Minister’s Office, PVARA brought together technology entrepreneurs to discuss innovation can unlock the next chapter of Pakistan’s digital economy.

Pakistan’s financial future will be built by those willing to innovate responsibly. At the Prime Minister’s Office, Islamabad, PVARA engaged with leading technology entrepreneurs, financial innovators, and digital asset builders to discuss the future of finance, regulatory innovation, and the expansion of Pakistan’s virtual assets sandbox.

Official Regulatory Advisory by PVARA Under the Virtual Assets Act, 2026, virtual asset services fall within PVARA's regulatory perimeter and require prior authorization before commencement or public announcement. PVARA welcomes responsible innovation and encourages early engagement. Participants can leverage the Regulatory Sandbox, No-Action Relief Letters, and the NOC process to innovate compliantly. pvara.gov.pk/advisories/virt…

Chairman PVARA @bilalbinsaqib addressed the Pakistan Symposium at Harvard Kennedy School on emerging technologies and their implications for Pakistan. Autonomous systems, programmable money, and tokenized assets are redefining the global rulebook. In just nine months, Pakistan moved from ordinance to institution, legislation, and banking integration. Many jurisdictions do not make that kind of progress in a decade.

Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA) is hiring. We are assembling the team that will help build and regulate Pakistan’s virtual assets ecosystem. Applications are now open across the following functions: •Managing Director •Policy & Strategy •Licensing & Regulatory Sandbox •Market Supervision •Enforcement •Technology & Cyber Risk •Support Services •PVARA Secretariat All roles are based in Islamabad and will be filled on a contract basis. For full role descriptions and the application form, please visit: recruitment.pvara.team Deadline to apply: 4 May 2026 For queries: hr@pvara.gov.pk

Pakistan has taken an important step toward formalising its virtual asset ecosystem. Following the enactment of the Virtual Assets Act, 2026, the State Bank of Pakistan has issued BPRD Circular Letter No. 10 of 2026, enabling regulated entities to open and maintain bank accounts for PVARA-licensed Virtual Asset Service Providers and their customers, subject to strict compliance and AML/CFT requirements. This marks a transition from a previously restrictive environment to a structured, regulated framework. Establishing regulatory clarity is a critical step in enabling sustainable growth, attracting investment, and building trust in the ecosystem. This development reflects continued coordination between policymakers, regulators, and industry stakeholders as Pakistan advances toward a fully regulated digital asset market.

We are assembling the people who will help shape the future of digital finance in Pakistan. If you believe in service, integrity, and nation-building, this is your moment. Apply now: pvara.team