ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi met Pakistan’s newly appointed ambassador to Afghanistan, Mansoor Ahmad Khan, on Monday and said he hoped the envoy would help strengthen relations between the two neighbors.
“Peace in Afghanistan is vital for peace and stability in the region,” the foreign minister said as he discussed Pak-Afghan relations and the Afghan peace process with Khan.
Qureshi congratulated Khan on his appointed and said he had been given the new responsibilities in view of his “excellent services.”
“You are going to assume your responsibilities as an ambassador at a time when Pakistan is facing many challenges both internally and externally,” the FM said, adding that peace in Afghanistan was vital for regional stability and that he hoped Khan’s appointment would “help further strengthen Pak-Afghan bilateral relations.”
Khan has previously served as Pakistan’s ambassador to Vienna.
Late last week, the Afghan government named a career diplomat, Najibullah Alikhil, as its new ambassador to Pakistan, to replace Atif Mashal who resigned in July this year.
Pakistan and Afghanistan have both named new ambassadors at a time when key intra-Afghan talks between the Kabul government and the Afghan Taliban are about to begin.
Islamabad’s role is considered vital for arranging these talks.
Peace in Afghanistan vital for regional stability, Pakistani FM tells new Kabul envoy
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Peace in Afghanistan vital for regional stability, Pakistani FM tells new Kabul envoy
- Qureshi meets Pakistan’s new ambassador to Afghanistan Mansoor Ahmad Khan
- Last week Kabul named career diplomat Najibullah Alikhil as its new ambassador to Pakistan
Pakistan, global crypto exchange discuss modernizing digital payments, creating job prospects
- Pakistani officials, Binance team discuss coordination between Islamabad, local banks and global exchanges
- Pakistan has attempted to tap into growing crypto market to curb illicit transactions, improve oversight
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s finance officials and the team of a global cryptocurrency exchange on Friday held discussions aimed at modernizing the country’s digital payments system and building local talent pipelines to meet rising demand for blockchain and Web3 skills, the finance ministry said.
The development took place during a high-level meeting between Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA) Chairman Bilal bin Saqib, domestic bank presidents and a Binance team led by Global CEO Richard Teng. The meeting was held to advance work on Pakistan’s National Digital Asset Framework, a regulatory setup to govern Pakistan’s digital assets.
Pakistan has been moving 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.
“Participants reviewed opportunities to modernize Pakistan’s digital payments landscape, noting that blockchain-based systems could significantly reduce costs from the country’s $38 billion annual remittance flows,” the finance ministry said in a statement.
“Discussions also emphasized building local talent pipelines to meet rising global demand for blockchain and Web3 skills, creating high-value employment prospects for Pakistani youth.”
Blockchain is a type of digital database that is shared, transparent and tamper-resistant. Instead of being stored on one computer, the data is kept on a distributed network of computers, making it very hard to alter or hack.
Web3 refers to the next generation of the Internet built using blockchain, focusing on giving users more control over their data, identity and digital assets rather than big tech companies controlling it.
Participants of the meeting also discussed sovereign debt tokenization, which is the process of converting a country’s debt such as government bonds, into digital tokens on a blockchain, the ministry said.
Aurangzeb called for close coordination between the government, domestic banks and global exchanges to modernize Pakistan’s payment landscape.
Participants of the meeting also discussed considering a “time-bound amnesty” to encourage users to move assets onto regulated platforms, stressing the need for stronger verifications and a risk-mitigation system.
Pakistan has attempted in recent months to tap into the country’s growing crypto market, crack down on money laundering and terror financing, and promote responsible innovation — 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.
