Pakistan creates crypto enforcement unit as digital asset regime expands
The FIA's new investigation team adds an enforcement layer to Pakistan's rapidly growing crypto licensing and regulatory framework.
Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency has established a dedicated cryptocurrency investigation unit, layering enforcement capability on top of the country's fast-growing digital asset regulatory regime.
Muhammad Athar Waheed, director of the FIA's counter-terrorism wing, said the new team will focus on the use of digital assets in money laundering and terrorism financing. He went further, recommending that the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency and the Anti-Narcotics Force create their own specialised units to tackle crypto-facilitated cybercrime and drug transactions.
The enforcement unit will work in parallel with the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority, the federal regulator that oversees the domestic digital asset sector.
For exchanges and institutional investors assessing South Asia, the development carries weight. A licensing regime without credible enforcement tends to deter the kind of large-scale capital that governments want to attract. By standing up a dedicated investigative team, Islamabad is signalling that its crypto framework is designed to meet international compliance expectations.
The regulatory buildout has moved quickly. In March, parliament passed the Virtual Assets Act, converting PVARA into a permanent federal agency with authority to license exchanges, custodians and token issuers. Binance and HTX are among the major platforms that have already secured licences.
Beyond market regulation, the government is pursuing sovereign-level crypto initiatives. PVARA Chairman Bilal bin Saqib has said Pakistan plans to launch a sovereign stablecoin. The state has also announced plans for a strategic bitcoin reserve and earmarked 2,000 megawatts of electricity for bitcoin mining and artificial intelligence data centres — a power allocation that underscores the scale of the country's ambitions.
Taken together, the legislative, regulatory, enforcement and infrastructure moves position Pakistan as one of the most aggressive emerging-market entrants in digital assets. Market participants will be watching whether the institutional framework can keep pace with the government's rapidly expanding agenda.
Response 2
Pakistan is positioning itself as a forward-thinking hub for digital assets through comprehensive regulatory and infrastructural development.
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