Pakistan is looking to digital finance as a way to draw foreign investment into its financial system. Bilal Bin Saqib, Minister of State and Chairman of the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA), held a series of high-level meetings in Bangkok, Thailand, during the 2026 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Group. He met senior leaders from the World Bank Group, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and the group’s treasury, digital and AI, and controller teams.
The discussions covered the modernisation of Pakistan’s financial infrastructure and the mobilisation of foreign capital. The engagements were framed around positioning Pakistan to benefit from the next wave of international financial innovation. Topics included digital capital markets, asset tokenisation, artificial intelligence, cross-border payments and technology-enabled regulatory oversight.
Tokenised bonds and private capital at the IFC table
In one meeting, Bilal Bin Saqib spoke with Imad N. Fakhoury, Regional Vice President for the Middle East and Central Asia at the IFC, which the source describes as the private-sector development arm of the World Bank Group. The two sides discussed possible cooperation on tokenised bonds and sukuk, digital financial infrastructure, cross-border payments and the mobilisation of international private capital.
The talks looked at how emerging financial technologies could help Pakistan attract investment and deepen its capital markets. Participants also considered whether these tools could create new financing options for both the public and private sectors.
Separately, the PVARA chairman met Jorge Familiar, Vice President and Treasurer of the World Bank Group. They explored potential cooperation on digital bond issuance, asset tokenisation and AI-enabled financial operations.
AI-driven supervision discussed with World Bank digital teams
Bilal Bin Saqib also met Sangbu Kim, World Bank Group Vice President for Digital and AI, together with Jonathan Gen Nagao, Director for Data and AI, and Ozan Sevimli, Acting Director of Strategy and Operations. The focus was on how artificial intelligence could be applied to financial regulation. The participants paid particular attention to strengthening supervisory capacity, building institutional expertise and overseeing digital assets.
The group also discussed asset tokenisation. They considered how global technical expertise could be used to reinforce Pakistan’s regulatory infrastructure and speed up the growth of its digital economy.
A further meeting involved Zinga Venner, Vice President and Controller of the World Bank Group, along with Junxue Chu, Director of Trust Funds and Loan Operations, and Thomas Puschnik, Solutions and Transformation Manager. The conversation covered blockchain-enabled financial transparency and AI-powered regulatory supervision. It also looked at how to strengthen the technological and institutional base of Pakistan’s emerging digital asset framework.
Investor roundtable and the call for strong institutions
The programme also included a roundtable with international investors. Participants discussed Pakistan’s improving macroeconomic fundamentals, its ongoing structural reforms, investment opportunities and a renewed push to engage with international capital markets.
Reflecting on the series of meetings, Bilal Bin Saqib said: “Pakistan must move beyond simply adopting emerging financial technologies to building the institutions that will shape the future of finance.” He said the government’s goals included attracting international investment, strengthening financial transparency and creating real economic opportunities through tokenised capital markets, faster cross-border payments and AI-based regulation.
He added: “The next chapter of Pakistan’s economic transformation must be driven by innovation, backed by credible institutions and anchored in financial stability.”
Taken together, the source says, the engagements show Pakistan aiming to go beyond building a regulatory framework. The focus is now on the financial infrastructure, institutional partnerships and technological capabilities needed to take part in the evolving global digital economy. PVARA is examining how responsible financial innovation could support the country’s development priorities, including sovereign debt tokenisation, digital capital markets, AI-powered supervision and the mobilisation of international private capital.
The conversations also stressed the need for trustworthy institutions, stronger regulatory protections and innovation that supports investor confidence, financial stability and long-term prosperity. According to the statement, Pakistan’s next phase of digital finance will explore how these technologies can be used responsibly to attract investment, modernise markets and open new economic opportunities.
