Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Thursday paid his first official visit to the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA), where he was briefed about the authority’s regulatory framework, policy direction and ongoing governance initiatives for the country’s emerging virtual assets sector.
During the meeting, PVARA officials presented an overview of the progress made so far in designing Pakistan’s virtual asset regulations. The briefing covered the phased regulatory model currently under development and the authority’s consultations with both domestic and international stakeholders.
Finance Minister Aurangzeb emphasized the importance of establishing “transparent and robust regulation” in the virtual assets space, noting that PVARA’s phased approach would be aligned closely with national priorities. He underscored Pakistan’s need to keep pace with global standards as digital financial systems evolve worldwide.
“Transparent, secure and internationally compliant frameworks are essential for building trust in this sector,” the finance minister stated, while issuing directions to remove any administrative hurdles slowing down the regulatory process.
Bilal Bin Saqib, chairman of PVARA, highlighted that “responsible innovation and strong safeguards” remained the authority’s top priorities as it works to build a secure environment for virtual asset activities in the country.
Officials also briefed the finance minister about Pakistan’s growing engagement at the global policy level, noting significant progress in aligning with international best practices on virtual asset oversight.
The Finance Ministry affirmed that the government is committed to supporting PVARA in creating a regulatory structure that encourages innovation while ensuring transparency and investor protection.