Balanced Regulatory Framework for Digital Assets Is the Need of the Hour: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb

Islamabad: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has emphasized the urgent need for a balanced regulatory framework for blockchain and youth-led digital assets, calling it essential for Pakistan’s strategic economic transition. Speaking at a conference on digital assets, the minister highlighted blockchain’s critical role in promoting financial inclusion, transparency, and innovation.

He noted that **10 to 15 percent of Pakistanis are already engaged in digital businesses**, with a significant portion being youth, and stressed the importance of facilitating this shift through collaborative regulation involving the private sector.

Aurangzeb stated that the **Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS)** and its partners had brought together academia, industry, and government stakeholders to explore the future of blockchain, digital assets, and emerging technologies.

As Pakistan moves toward macroeconomic stability, the next key step, he said, is **actively contributing to an economy built on blockchain, artificial intelligence, and Web 3.0 technologies**.

The finance minister underscored the transformative potential of blockchain in **banking, remittances, agriculture, IT, freelancing, and the energy sector**, offering faster, cost-effective, and more efficient transaction systems.

While outlining the regulatory dimensions, Aurangzeb warned that ignoring digital assets could expose Pakistan to **international sanctions and monitoring**, potentially undermining the progress made in exiting the **FATF grey list**.

He concluded by urging swift and responsible regulatory development to harness digital assets’ full potential for Pakistan’s economic future.