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Pakistan has signed a memorandum of understanding with crypto exchange Binance to explore the “tokenisation” of up to $2 billion in sovereign bonds, T-bills and commodity reserves to boost liquidity and attract investors, the finance ministry said on Friday. Tokenisation is the process of creating a digital version of an asset. Separately, Pakistan also gave initial clearance for Binance and HTX, a digital-asset platform, to register with regulators to set up local subsidiaries and begin preparations for full exchange licence applications, the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA) said. The ministry said the agreement paved the way to explore a potential collaboration aimed at enabling the tokenisation and blockchain-based distribution of real-world assets, including sovereign bonds, treasury bills, commodity reserves such as oil, gas, metals or other raw materials owned by the government. “Under the proposed arrangement, Binance and/or its affiliates may provide technical expertise, advisory s...

Pakistan gives a nod for crypto exchanges Binance and HTX to register local subsidiaries as regulators advance a phased crypto framework. Pakistan’s authorities are moving to regulate major global cryptocurrency exchanges, issuing preliminary clearances to platforms including Binance to set up shop in the country. The Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA) has granted no objection certificates (NOCs) to Binance and HTX, paving the way for the exchanges to register locally and pursue full licensing, the regulator announced on X on Friday. The NOCs aim to ensure Pakistan’s phased approach to regulating crypto asset service providers aligns with the Anti-Money Laundering (AML) policies of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), PVARA said. Read more

The remarks signal Pakistan’s push to turn its grassroots crypto activity into a compliant, innovation-driven sector anchored by Bitcoin and digital-asset regulation. Pakistan sees Bitcoin and digital assets as the backbone of a new financial rail for its 240 million citizens, a senior official said at the Bitcoin MENA Conference, signaling a shift toward formal regulation of crypto markets. Bilal Bin Saqib said on Tuesday that Pakistan can no longer rely on traditional economic models, but needs “a new engine,” citing digital assets. The minister said during a roundtable in Abu Dhabi: Saqib, the chairman of Pakistan’s Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (PVARA) and former special assistant to the prime minister on blockchain and crypto, said his mandate is to transform one of the world’s largest unregulated crypto markets into a compliant, investment-ready ecosystem. Read more

ISLAMABAD - The fourth round of Bilateral Political Consultations between Pakistan and Tunisia was held in Tunis, the Foreign Office announced on Wednesday.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan yesterday summoned Ambassador of Norway to Pakistan Per Albert Ilsaas over his ‘unwarranted’ appearance in the Supreme Court hearing of the Iman Mazari case.

Troops from Pakistan and China are conducting a two-week long counter-terrorism exercise to “enhance interoperability and strengthen military-to-military cooperation between the two countries”, said the military’s media wing on Thursday. “Pakistan Army and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China are conducting joint counterterrorism exercise Warrior-IX from 28 November to 14 December 2025,” said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). A ‘Distinguished Visitors Day’ was also held today during the drills at the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) Pabbi. In attendance were the Ambassador of China to Pakistan, Jiang Zaidong, as the chief guest and Pakistan Army’s chief of general staff as the guest of honour. Senior dignitaries from China accompanied Zaidong. “Honourable guests were briefed on the scope, objectives, and conduct of the joint exercise during the visit. They witnessed various counter-terrorism drills and appreciated the professionalism, operational competence, and high morale demonstrat...

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday summoned the Norwegian ambassador to Pakistan and urged him to “adhere to the established norms of diplomatic engagement” after his “unwarranted” attendance at a court hearing today. Norwegian Ambassador Per Albert Ilsaas attended the Supreme Court hearing of rights activist Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, in a case pertaining to controversial social media posts. The diplomat’s presence during the court proceedings generated a lot of chatter on social media. The ministry, in its statement, said the Scandinavian country’s top representative was summoned by the additional foreign secretary (Europe). He was informed that his presence breached “diplomatic protocol and relevant international law”. “Noting that his actions amount to interference in the internal affairs of the country, the Ambassador was urged to adhere to the established norms of diplomatic engagement, as outlined in the relevant articles of the Vienna Convention,” said the st...

Pakistan has lodged a strong diplomatic protest with Norway after the Norwegian Ambassador in Islamabad attended a Supreme Court hearing related to activist Iman Mazari.

Pakistan has received a disbursement of $1.

Pakistan told the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Wednesday that terrorism emanating from Afghan soil posed the “gravest threat” to the country’s national security and sovereignty. Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad made the remarks while addressing a debate in New York on the situation in Afghanistan. In his statement, he highlighted Islamabad’s concerns about security, humanitarian, and socio-economic challenges emerging from neighbouring Afghanistan. Briefing the UNSC on Pakistan’s counter-terrorism efforts since the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul in 2021, the ambassador said Pakistan had maintained consistent engagement with the Afghan Taliban, conducting high-level visits, facilitating humanitarian relief, supporting the transportation of goods, and announcing trade and transit concessions. Despite these efforts, he said, threats persisted, creating mounting security challenges for Pakistan and the wider region. “Afghanistan is once again a saf...

Health Minister Mustafa Kamal on Thursday launched the last nationwide polio campaign of 2025 aiming to vaccinate over 45 million children against the crippling disease, noting that the number of cases in the country had reduced in comparison to last year. Pakistan is one of the last two countries in the world, alongside Afghanistan, where polio remains endemic. So far, the country has recorded 30 polio cases, with the highest number of cases in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at 19. Launching the last polio campaign of the year — set to run from December 15 to December 2 — at a ceremony in Islamabad, the minister noted the decline in cases in comparison to 2024, saying, “We have succeeded in reducing polio cases in the country.” He recalled that Pakistan had recorded 74 cases in 2024; however, this year the country only saw 30 cases. The minister said that the virus was “present in more than half of the country,” including Peshawar, Karachi, and Lahore. He stated that the government remained “determined to eliminate the ...

IT IS strategically possible for Dhaka to join a regional bloc with Paki­stan at some point — one that does not include India — unlike other South Asian states, a top Ban­gladeshi official said on Wednesday. The state-owned Bang­ladesh Sangbad Sangstha news agency quoted Dha­ka’s Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain as saying: “It is possible for us (Bang­ladesh) strategically … (but) it is not possible for Nepal or Bhutan to form a grouping with Pakistan excluding India”. His remarks are being interpreted as a response to a statement by Pakis­tan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar at the recent ‘Islamabad Conclave’, where he had said a trilateral initiative involving Bangladesh, China and Pakistan had begun and may expand to include countries within and beyond the region. According to the Bang­ladeshi outlet, Mr Hossain said Mr Dar “has said something, and perhaps at some point this could see some progress”. In August, Foreign Minister Dar visited Bangladesh for the first time in 13 years. PM Shehbaz Sharif and Bangl...

The United States has approved the sale of advanced technology and support for Pakistan’s F-16 fighter jets, valued at $686 million, according to a letter the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) sent to Congress on December 8. The package includes Link–16 systems, cryptographic equipment, avionics updates, training, and comprehensive logistical support. The DSCA letter makes clear the rationale for the sale, stating that it “will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by allowing Pakistan to retain interoperability with US and partner forces in ongoing counterterrorism efforts and in preparation for future contingency operations.” The proposed sale is also aimed at modernising Pakistan’s F-16 fleet and addressing operational safety concerns. The letter notes that it will “maintain Pakistan’s capability to meet current and future threats by updating and refurbishing its Block–52 and Mid Life Upgrade F–16 fleet.” These updates will provide more “seamless integ...

ISLAMABAD - Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan on Wednesday said Pakistan and Türkiye are “all-weather, time-tested friends,” stress­ing that the historic ties between the two brotherly nations continue to strengthen across multiple sectors.

The United States has approved the sale of advanced technology and support for Pakistan’s F-16 fighter jets, valued at $686 million, according to a letter the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) sent to Congress on December 8. The package includes Link–16 systems, cryptographic equipment, avionics updates, training, and comprehensive logistical support. The DSCA letter makes clear the rationale for the sale, stating that it “will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by allowing Pakistan to retain interoperability with US and partner forces in ongoing counterterrorism efforts and in preparation for future contingency operations.” The proposed sale is also aimed at modernising Pakistan’s F-16 fleet and addressing operational safety concerns. The letter notes that it will “maintain Pakistan’s capability to meet current and future threats by updating and refurbishing its Block–52 and Mid Life Upgrade F–16 fleet.” These updates will provide more “seamless integ...

Pakistan’s population has crossed an estimated 257 million at midyear, placing it among the world’s most populous nations even as its fertility and growth rates continue to decline, according to a report released by the US Census Bureau on Tuesday. Demographic databases, including projections by the US Census Bureau and the United Nations, show Pakistan’s population density at 333 persons per square kilometre, underscoring the scale of pressure on land and public services. The data depict a country facing one of the most complex population transitions in South Asia — caught between rapid numerical expansion and slow human-development gains. Despite decades of policy debate, Pakistan is still adding millions of people each year. Its annual population growth rate stands at 1.82 per cent, lower than in previous decades but high enough to keep total numbers rising steeply for at least another generation, the report said, It added that the total fertility rate (TFR) — the average number of births per woman — has f...

Pakistan and the United Kingdom on Wednesday finalised a new agreement to deepen cooperation in the field of climate change, reaffirming their commitment to jointly address the mounting environmental challenges facing both countries.

BERLIN: More than 250 human rights groups and other NGOs renewed pressure on the German government on Tuesday to take in hundreds of Afg­hans stranded in Pakistan who had been offered sanctuary by Berlin. The organisations, inclu­ding Amnesty Interna­tional, Save the Children, Human Rights Watch and church groups, urged the government to bring the roughly 1,800 Afghans to Germany from Pakistan before the end of the year. Those affected must be evacuated in the coming weeks to protect them from deportation back to Afghanistan, the groups said. The Afghans were accepted under a refugee scheme set up by the previous German government, but have been stuck in Pakistan since conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz took office in May and froze the programme. Around 350 people on the scheme have been able to come to Germany after winning legal challenges against the government in German courts. UNHCR survey shows only 1.2m of 2m Afghans in Pakistan are registered According to the open letter sent to the German governm...

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan and Indonesia on Tuesday agreed to enhance bilateral trade, expand cooperation in health, agriculture, information technology, science, and education, and deepen coordination on regional and global issues, including Palestine.

A new national assessment by the Pakistan Air Quality Initiative (PAQI) has found that local emission sources are the primary contributors to the hazardous air quality levels in Pakistan’s major cities. This emerged on Tuesday. The PAQI is an independent research and advocacy organisation committed to addressing air pollution in Pakistan. The report, Unveiling Pakistan’s Air Pollution: A National Landscape Report on Health Risks, Sources and Solutions, provides the country’s first multi-sectoral emissions inventories and concludes that urban smog is overwhelmingly generated within Pakistan’s own airsheds. “Toxic air pollution reduces the life expectancy of the average Pakistani by 3.9 years,” the report states. The report draws on satellite-derived aerosol datasets, chemical transport modelling and PAQI’s nationwide real-time monitoring network, the largest open-data air-quality system in Pakistan, to map the sources, scale, and health impacts of PM2.5 across the country’s largest cities. PM2.5 is a cancer-ca...