KARACHI: The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) demonstrated the long-range operational capabilities of its indigenous JF-17 fighter jets during an international exercise in Saudi Arabia, the military’s media wing said on Friday, as the PAF contingent returned home.
The PAF participated in Exercise Spears of Victory-2025, held at King Abdul Aziz Air Base, alongside air forces from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, France, Greece, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The drills, which began earlier this month, aimed to enhance interoperability through realistic air combat scenarios.
“For this international deployment, PAF fighters executed a non-stop flight from their home base in Pakistan to Saudi Arabia and back, conducting in-flight air-to-air refueling, demonstrating long-range operational capabilities of the JF-17 Block-III aircraft,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.
The PAF contingent included JF-17 Block-III fighter jets, combat pilots and technical ground crew, who actively participated in the exercise. The JF-17 Block-III displayed its combat performance against advanced fighter jets, earning recognition for its technological strengths and operational potential.
The PAF’s participation highlights its commitment to staying at the forefront of aerial warfare through joint exercises and modern combat training, ISPR added.
Pakistan Air Force demonstrates long-range JF-17 capabilities in Saudi exercise
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Pakistan Air Force demonstrates long-range JF-17 capabilities in Saudi exercise
- PAF pilots and ground crew participated in Exercise Spears of Victory-2025 at King Abdul Aziz Air Base
- JF-17 displayed combat performance against advanced fighter jets, showing its operational potential
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.
