Pakistan launches crypto investigation unit to crack down on digital asset crimes: report

Regulation•July 21, 2026, 10:46PM EDT
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Pakistan launches crypto investigation unit to crack down on digital asset crimes: report
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Quick Take

  • Pakistan’s FIA has established a cryptocurrency investigation unit to crack down on digital asset crimes, Dawn News reported.
  • Muhammad Athar Waheed, director of the FIA’s counter-terrorism wing, suggested that other major agencies form dedicated teams to tackle digital asset crimes.
  • In March, the country’s parliament passed the Virtual Assets Act, making PVARA a permanent federal regulator with the authority to license exchanges.

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Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has established a new investigative unit specialized in digital asset crimes under its National Command and Control Centre.

 

According to the local news outlet Dawn News, Muhammad Athar Waheed, director of the FIA's counter-terrorism wing, said the unit will probe the use of crypto in crimes such as money laundering and terrorism financing.

The crypto investigation unit would work in parallel with the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA), which is the authority responsible for regulating the local digital asset space. 

Waheed further suggested that the National Cyber Crime Investi­gation Agency and Anti-Narcotics Force also establish similar teams to clamp down on the use of crypto in cybercrimes and illicit drug transactions.

Digital asset expansion

Pakistan has rapidly expanded its digital asset plans since last year. In March of this year, the country's parliament passed the Virtual Assets Act, making PVARA a permanent federal regulator with the authority to license exchanges, custodians and token issuers. PVARA has since approved licenses for several major exchanges, including Binance and HTX.

PVARA Chairman Bilal bin Saqib has said that Pakistan plans to launch a sovereign stablecoin. The government also previously announced plans for a state-held bitcoin reserve and allocated 2,000 megawatts of electricity for bitcoin mining and artificial intelligence data centers.


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