ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan said Pakistan is pushing for a political settlement in Afghanistan before foreign troops leave later this year, to reduce the risk of civil war in its western neighbor.
The United States has said it will withdraw all its troops from Afghanistan on Sept. 11 after a two-decade presence.
More than 20 allied countries plan to follow suit.
“There is a lot of fear right now in Pakistan and I assure you that we are trying our level best that there is some sort of political settlement before the Americans leave,” Khan told Reuters on Friday at his official residence in Islamabad.
Violence in Afghanistan has risen sharply since the troop withdrawal announcement, with the insurgent Taliban resisting pressure from Washington and its allies to agree to a political understanding leading to a peace deal.
“Since the moment the Americans gave a date, of when they were going to leave Afghanistan ... the Taliban feel they have won the war,” Khan said, adding it was not going to be easy to get concessions from the Taliban after the US decision.
Khan said Pakistan would suffer the most, after Afghanistan itself, if there was civil war and a refugee crisis.
“And then there would be pressure on us to jump in and become a part of it,” Khan said.
He said his government had changed Pakistan’s decades-long policy of pushing for “strategic depth” in Afghanistan to ensure that there was a friendly government there.
“Any Afghan government chosen by the people is who Pakistan should deal with,” Khan said, adding that Pakistan “should not try to do any manipulation in Afghanistan.”
Pakistan has long been accused of harboring leaders and fighters of the Taliban, whom Islamabad helped to power in 1996, even as the insurgent group fought US-led foreign troops.
Khan said a lot depended on US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, with Pakistan’s and Afghanistan’s help, to carve out a settlement to avoid more bloodshed.
PM Khan seeks Afghan settlement before foreign troop pullout
https://arab.news/9mphx
PM Khan seeks Afghan settlement before foreign troop pullout
- The Pakistani prime minister says ‘there is a lot of fear’ in his country regarding a possible civil war in Afghanistan and a refugee crisis
- Khan says his government has changed Pakistan’s decades-long policy of ‘strategic depth’ in its neighborhood, will work with any government in Kabul
Pakistan passes Virtual Assets Act 2026, empowers regulator to combat money laundering
- Legislation introduces licensing for virtual asset service providers, market surveillance mechanisms
- Pakistan is one of the world’s top cryptocurrency markets, with millions actively using virtual assets
KARACHI: Pakistan’s parliament on Friday passed the Virtual Assets Act 2026, granting the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA) powers to combat money laundering, militant financing and other illicit activities, the regulator said.
The legislation introduces regulatory provisions including mandatory licensing for virtual asset service providers, market surveillance mechanisms, anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing compliance, and coordination with Pakistani financial regulators including the State Bank of Pakistan and the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan.
Pakistan has in recent months stepped up efforts to draft rules for regulating the fast-expanding market for digital coins and tokens, requiring virtual asset service providers to secure government approval. Islamabad’s move to embrace digital currency marks a significant policy shift as it had banned cryptocurrency in 2018, citing financial risks.
“A year ago, Pakistan’s digital asset landscape was defined by uncertainty and grey areas. Today, we have the country’s first Act of Parliament establishing a regulatory body for virtual assets, building on the Presidential Ordinance introduced in 2025,” PVARA Chairman Bilal bin Saqib said in a post on X.
“With NOCs [no objection certificates] already issued and banking rails being developed in coordination with the State Bank of Pakistan, we are now moving toward a comprehensive licensing framework aligned with global AML [anti-money laundering] and financial integrity standards.”
Meanwhile, PVARA said the framework aims to boost transparency, protect investors, and ensure a stable, trustworthy virtual asset market while supporting responsible fintech innovation.
“The legislation also equips the Authority with powers to address money laundering, terrorist financing, and other illicit activities associated with virtual assets, bringing Pakistan’s regulatory approach in line with international standards,” it added.
Pakistan ranks among the world’s largest cryptocurrency markets by adoption, with millions of citizens actively engaged in virtual assets.
In February, Dr. Afnanullah Khan, a Pakistani senator from the ruling party, had said major crypto coins such as Bitcoin, Ethereum and XRP will soon be traded in Pakistan through crypto exchanges.
Pakistan earlier launched a “regulatory sandbox” for firms to trial crypto services under PVARA’s supervision before full approval.
In January, Pakistan signed a memorandum of understanding with a World Liberty Financial-linked firm, tied to US President Donald Trump’s family, to explore a dollar-backed stablecoin for cross-border payments.
