ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Sahir Shamshad Mirza this week met Iraq’s Secretary Defense Lt. Gen. Ahmed Dawood Salman to discuss enhancing defense and security cooperation between the two states, the army’s media wing said.
Pakistan’s relations with Iraq have enhanced in the past few years through defense cooperation, with Islamabad providing support to Iraqi security forces in their fight against the militant group Daesh. In 2014, Iraq purchased the Super Mushak trainer aircraft from Pakistan as part of improving defense ties between the two Muslim-majority countries.
Salman called on Mirza at the Joint Staff Headquarters in Pakistan’s garrison city of Rawalpindi on Monday, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.
“Matters of bilateral interests including emerging security environment and enhancement of security and defense cooperation between the two countries were discussed during the meeting,” the ISPR said.
The army’s media wing said Salman commended the professionalism of Pakistan’s armed forces and acknowledged the sacrifices rendered by the country’s people in its war against militancy.
Pakistan has been fighting religiously motivated militant groups in the country, notably the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), or the Pakistani Taliban, since 2007. These militant outfits have carried out some of the deadliest attacks against the South Asian country’s armed forces and civilians, including suicide bombings.
Pakistan has seen a surge in militant attacks in its western provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan since November 2022, after a fragile truce between the state and the TTP broke down.
Pakistan, Iraq discuss enhancing bilateral defense and security cooperation
https://arab.news/2wp2h
Pakistan, Iraq discuss enhancing bilateral defense and security cooperation
- Pakistan’s Chairman Joint Chief of Staff Committee General Sahir Shamshad Mirza meets Iraq’s defense secretary
- Lt. Gen. Ahmed Dawood Salman commended Pakistan’s armed forces for their professionalism, says army’s media wing
Pakistan launches crypto testing framework to regulate digital assets
- Regulatory ‘sandbox’ to let firms test crypto products under supervision
- Move comes amid broader push to formalize Pakistan’s digital asset sector
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA) on Friday launched a crypto testing framework to regulate digital assets, allowing firms to trial new products and services under official supervision.
The initiative, formally structured as a regulatory “sandbox,” creates a controlled environment where companies can test crypto-related services under the oversight of the regulator before full-scale approval.
According to PVARA, the sandbox will support real-world use cases including tokenization, stablecoins, remittances and on- and off-ramp infrastructure.
Tokenization refers to converting real-world assets into digital tokens on a blockchain, while stablecoins are cryptocurrencies pegged to a fiat currency to maintain a stable value. On- and off-ramp infrastructure allows users to convert between fiat money and digital assets, enabling the practical use of virtual asset products.
“The Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority has formally approved and launched its Regulatory Sandbox for virtual assets,” PVARA said in a post on X. “Sandbox Guidelines and the application process will be published shortly on our website.”
The move comes as the government seeks to build a formal regulatory framework for digital assets while attracting investment and strengthening oversight of the sector.
Pakistan has stepped up efforts recently to regulate its digital asset sector and is exploring digital currency initiatives as part of broader measures to reduce cash usage.
In January, Pakistan signed a memorandum of understanding with a company affiliated with World Liberty Financial, a crypto-based finance platform launched in September 2024 and linked to US President Donald Trump’s family to explore the use of a dollar-linked stablecoin for cross-border payments.
