Hassan Maishera
TL;DR
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Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has created a dedicated unit to investigate cryptocurrency-related crimes.
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The team will focus on offenses including money laundering, terrorism financing, and other illicit uses of digital assets.
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The new unit will work alongside the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA), the country's crypto regulator.
Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has launched a specialized investigative unit dedicated to tackling crimes involving digital assets, marking another step in the country's efforts to strengthen oversight of its rapidly growing cryptocurrency sector.
According to local media reports, the new unit will operate under the FIA's National Command and Control Centre and focus on investigating the use of cryptocurrencies in financial crimes, including money laundering and terrorism financing.
New Unit to Target Crypto-Enabled Financial Crime
Muhammad Athar Waheed, director of the FIA's counter-terrorism wing, said the newly established team will investigate criminal activities involving digital assets and support broader efforts to combat illicit financial networks.
The unit will work in coordination with the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA), the federal regulator responsible for overseeing the country's digital asset industry.
Waheed also called on other law enforcement agencies—including the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency and the Anti-Narcotics Force—to establish similar specialist teams to address the growing use of cryptocurrencies in cybercrime and illegal drug trafficking.
The creation of the FIA's crypto crime unit comes as Pakistan rapidly builds its regulatory framework for digital assets.
In March 2026, Parliament passed the Virtual Assets Act, formally establishing PVARA as the country's permanent federal regulator for the cryptocurrency sector. The authority is responsible for licensing crypto exchanges, custodians, token issuers, and other virtual asset service providers.
Since becoming operational, PVARA has granted licenses to several major cryptocurrency platforms, including Binance and HTX, as Pakistan moves toward a more regulated digital asset ecosystem.
Beyond regulation, Pakistan has unveiled several initiatives aimed at positioning itself as a regional player in the digital asset industry.
PVARA Chairman Bilal bin Saqib has previously announced plans for the country to issue a sovereign stablecoin, while the government has also proposed creating a state-held Bitcoin reserve.
In addition, authorities have allocated 2,000 megawatts of electricity to support Bitcoin mining operations and artificial intelligence data centers, signaling a broader strategy to attract investment in emerging technologies.
Balancing Innovation with Enforcement
The launch of the FIA's dedicated crypto investigation unit reflects Pakistan's dual approach to digital assets—encouraging innovation and industry growth while strengthening law enforcement capabilities to combat financial crime.
As cryptocurrency adoption continues to expand globally, governments are increasingly establishing specialized investigative teams to address the unique challenges posed by blockchain-based transactions and cross-border digital financial crimes.
