Bangkok: Pakistan is taking significant steps to modernize its financial infrastructure and attract international investment through high-level engagements with the World Bank Group. Bilal Bin Saqib, Minister of State and Chairman of the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA), met with senior World Bank Group officials during the 2026 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Group in Bangkok, Thailand. The discussions focused on digital finance, asset tokenization, and AI-powered regulatory supervision.
According to the Press Information Department, these meetings aimed at positioning Pakistan to leverage global financial innovations such as asset tokenization, digital capital markets, and cross-border payments. Saqib’s discussions with Imad N. Fakhoury, Regional Vice President for the Middle East and Central Asia at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), emphasized collaboration on tokenized bonds, sukuk, and the mobilization of international private capital.
The engagements highlighted how emerging financial technologies could attract investment, deepen capital markets, and create new financing opportunities. In a meeting with Jorge Familiar, Vice President and Treasurer of the World Bank Group, discussions explored cooperation on digital bond issuance and AI-enabled financial operations. These talks included knowledge exchange and capacity building to improve financial market efficiency and ensure investor protection.
Additional meetings with World Bank Group officials, including Sangbu Kim and Jonathan Gen Nagao, focused on applying artificial intelligence to financial regulation and enhancing digital asset oversight. These discussions explored leveraging global technical expertise to bolster Pakistan’s regulatory infrastructure and advance its digital economy.
Saqib also participated in an investor roundtable organized by Barclays, discussing Pakistan’s economic landscape and investment opportunities alongside Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb and State Bank of Pakistan Governor Jameel Ahmad. The collective engagements reflect Pakistan’s ambition to integrate into the global digital economy through financial innovation and robust institutional frameworks.
The focus remains on responsibly deploying emerging technologies to modernize financial markets, attract investment, and support Pakistan’s economic development priorities while ensuring financial stability and investor confidence.