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Pakistan announced Bilal Bin Saqib as Chief Advisor to the Finance Minister on the Pakistan Crypto Council on March 5, 2025. The Finance Ministry described an advisory remit covering crypto and blockchain policy, a digital-assets regulatory framework, and possible uses of artificial intelligence in government. The announcement set out intended work; it did not establish that a regulatory system had been completed or that the appointment itself created a regulator.
Who is Bilal Bin Saqib?
Bilal Bin Saqib is a Pakistani technology and digital-assets figure who was named to an advisory role by the Government of Pakistan. The March 5, 2025 announcement identified him as Chief Advisor to the Finance Minister on the Pakistan Crypto Council. That is the title and institutional context of the original appointment—not, at that point, a regulatory-authority chairmanship.
Why did Bilal Bin Saqib join the Pakistan Crypto Council?
The Finance Ministry said the appointment would support the integration of cryptocurrency and blockchain into Pakistan’s financial ecosystem, contribute to developing a digital-assets regulatory framework aligned with global best practices, and explore artificial-intelligence applications in government operations. These were stated areas of work, not evidence that the proposed framework or government applications had already been implemented. The Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported the announcement and recorded Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb’s welcome.
In the APP report, Aurangzeb said the appointment reflected a commitment to emerging technologies while maintaining a secure and transparent financial system. Saqib said crypto and blockchain could have potential for Pakistan, particularly for young people, if supported by appropriate strategies and regulation. These are attributed policy positions and aspirations; they do not independently demonstrate economic benefits or outcomes.
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What does the Chief Advisor to the Finance Minister do?
The announcement described the role’s remit but did not set out a formal job description, statutory powers, or a licensing authority. Its stated focus was advisory: helping shape policy discussions about digital assets and blockchain, contributing to regulatory-framework development, and exploring AI in public administration. The announcement should not be read as saying that Saqib could issue regulations or license crypto businesses by virtue of this advisory title.
What did the Pakistan Crypto Council work on after the appointment?
June 2025: draft framework and governance options
An official account of a Pakistan Crypto Council meeting on June 2, 2025 said participants discussed a draft regulatory framework for digital and virtual assets and options for an autonomous regulator. A technical committee representing the State Bank of Pakistan, the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, the Law Division, and the IT and Telecom Division was to review draft laws and propose a governance structure for Council consideration. The account describes planned review and discussion, not enactment of a law or the launch of a regulator. The Finance Division’s official press-release archive carries the Council-related account.
December 2025: PVARA and the National Digital Asset Framework
A later Finance Division account dated December 5, 2025 described Saqib as Chairman of the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA), co-chairing a consultation on Pakistan’s National Digital Asset Framework. It listed operationalising on- and off-ramp infrastructure, compliance standards, market transparency, and participation by regulated financial institutions among the discussion priorities. This later title and consultation are distinct from the March advisory appointment; they do not mean that the March role created PVARA or, on their own, establish which licensing rules are currently in force. The Finance Division archive is the official source for that later account.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the appointment does—and does not—tell consumers and businesses
The announcement signals that Pakistan’s government intended to develop policy for digital assets and consider how they might fit within the financial system. The later Council and PVARA accounts show that framework design and governance were subjects of official discussion. They are not substitutes for current legislation or a regulator’s notice when determining whether a particular activity is permitted, what license is required, or what consumer protections apply.
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Best Value
- For consumers: the appointment is not an endorsement of cryptocurrency, a guarantee of protection, or a change to the rules for holding or trading digital assets.
- For businesses: the reported draft framework and consultation priorities indicate policy work, but do not by themselves establish an applicable licensing process or compliance obligation.
- For anyone checking current requirements: consult current legislation and official notices from the relevant Pakistani authorities. The Finance Division’s archive is updated with later announcements, so a past title or policy discussion should not be treated as a definitive statement of present legal status.
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