ISLAMABAD: British Airways resumed its flight operations to Pakistan on Monday, bringing 240 passengers from London in a Boeing 787 that touched down in Islamabad at 9:15am this morning.
The airlines had suspended its operation for a little more than a decade after a deadly bombing at a luxury hotel in Islamabad in September 2008.
Pakistan’s prominent government functionaries went to the newly constructed Islamabad airport to welcome the passengers.
“It gives me great pleasure to announce that British Airways has exhibited its confidence in Pakistan’s prevailing security environment and decided to resume its operations in the country,” said the aviation minister, Ghulam Sarwar Khan, while addressing a news conference here on Monday.
He continued that the government wanted to turn Islamabad into a central destination in the region, adding he hoped that other important global airlines would also initiate their operations in Pakistan.
Later, British Airways chief operating officer, Andrew Brem, also met with Prime Minister Imran Khan at his office in Islamabad.
Khan said that the resumption of the airlines’ flights to Pakistan would help tourism sector in the country and send positive signal to those who wanted to trade with or invest in his country.
British Airways resumes flights to Pakistan after more than a decade
British Airways resumes flights to Pakistan after more than a decade
- The airlines had suspended operations after a deadly bombing at a luxury hotel in Islamabad
- Prime Minister Khan says the development will help promote tourism in the country
Pakistan signals commitment to regulate digital assets in meeting with Binance leadership
- Binance delegation led by CEO Richard Teng meets Pakistan’s prime minister, army chief in Islamabad
- Pakistan has attempted to tap into growing crypto market to curb illicit transactions, improve oversight
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s government has signaled its “strong commitment” to digital asset regulation as the country’s senior officials met the leadership of Binance, one of the world’s most prominent global cryptocurrency exchanges, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said on Saturday.
The Binance team, led by its Chief Executive Officer Richard Teng, is in Pakistan and has held meetings with Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA) Chairman Bilal bin Saqib and senior Pakistani bank officials this week.
Pakistan has been attempting to regulate its fast-growing crypto and digital assets market by bringing virtual asset service providers (VASPs) under a formal licensing regime. Officials say the push is aimed at curbing illicit transactions, improving oversight and encouraging innovation in blockchain-based financial services.
“Binance senior leadership visits Pakistan as government signals strong commitment to digital asset regulation,” the PMO said.
A Binance delegation led by Teng met Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir in Islamabad.
Saqib also attended the meeting and gave the Binance team a briefing about his organization.
Pakistan has attempted in recent months to tap into the country’s growing crypto market, a move analysts say could bring an estimated $25 billion in virtual assets into the tax net.
In September, Islamabad invited international crypto exchanges and other VASPs to apply for licenses to operate in the country, a step aimed at formalizing and regulating its fast-growing digital market.
