Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has appointed Bilal Bin Saqib, CEO of the Pakistan Crypto Council, as his special assistant on blockchain and cryptocurrency. The appointment is effective immediately under Rule 4(6) of the Rules of Business, 1973. Saqib has been granted the status of a minister of state and will serve without any salary or official benefits, according to a May 26 report published by the English-language local news outlet, Pakistan Observer. This move aligns with a series of government efforts to boost Pakistan’s role in the digital asset sector. Just a day earlier, Pakistan dedicated 2, 000 megawatts of surplus electricity exclusively for Bitcoin mining and artificial intelligence centers. In mid-May, the Ministry of Finance approved forming a specialized body to regulate the country's blockchain-based financial infrastructure. The Pakistan Digital Assets Authority (PDAA) will act as a regulatory agency overseeing licensing, exchanges, custodians, wallets, tokenized platforms, stablecoins, and decentralized finance (DeFi) applications. Related: Pakistan eyes crypto legal framework to boost foreign investment Saqib appointed special blockchain assistant Bilal Bin Saqib, a London School of Economics graduate, holds the honorific title of Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, awarded by King Charles III. He heads the Pakistan Crypto Council and appointed former Binance CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao as an adviser.

Saqib was also featured in Forbes’ 30 under 30 list. In his role as special assistant to the prime minister, Saqib’s responsibilities include drafting cryptocurrency regulations compliant with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), spearheading government-backed Bitcoin mining projects, and managing blockchain integration across governance, land records, and financial sectors. As confirmed by Pakistan Observer, he will not receive any salary, perks, or official privileges. Related: Pakistan moves to regulate cryptocurrency, CBDCs as legal tender Pakistan’s investment in crypto Pakistan is making significant advances into the cryptocurrency industry. In late April, World Liberty Financial, a company supported by Donald Trump, signed a Letter of Intent with the Pakistan Crypto Council to accelerate crypto adoption in one of the fastest-growing markets worldwide. Recently, Pakistani regulators proposed a digital assets regulatory framework focused on compliance with FATF guidelines. Sumera Azam, Director of Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), described the framework as representing a “paradigm shift in how Pakistan views digital finance. ” Azam stated in April that “the policy proposal seeks to strike a historic balance between technological advancement and national security imperatives. ”