🇵🇰 PAKISTAN JUST BUILT A CRYPTO POLICE DESK 🚨👀

Pakistan’s FIA (Federal Investigation Agency) has launched a dedicated cryptocurrency investigation unit.
The new unit sits inside the FIA’s National Command and Control Centre (NC3), a single command hub for monitoring, intelligence, and multi-agency work.
Its job, per FIA Counter-Terrorism Wing Director Dr Muhammad Athar Waheed speaking to Dawn: probe when virtual assets are used in money laundering (cleaning dirty money), terrorism financing, and other digital-asset crimes. 🛡️
Pakistan now has a clearer split:
• @PakistanVARA (Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority) = the rule-maker and license body for virtual assets (crypto and related digital value) and for VASPs (virtual asset service providers, e.g. exchanges and similar platforms).
• FIA crypto unit = the investigators when coins show up in crime.
Earlier in 2026, parliament passed the Virtual Assets Act, 2026. That law made PVARA a permanent federal regulator.
Under that law, running an unlicensed VASP can bring up to 5 years in prison and/or a fine up to PKR 50 million (about $180,000 at recent rates). Unauthorized offerings face separate penalties (up to 3 years and/or PKR 25 million).
On the Chainalysis 2025 Global Crypto Adoption Index, Pakistan ranked #3 worldwide (behind India and the United States). Retail use is deep, not fringe.
The director also said NCCIA (cybercrime agency) and ANF (anti-narcotics force) should build similar crypto desks for cybercrime and drug-linked cases. That is a request, not a finished multi-agency map yet.
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Open question: will this desk mainly close the crime door, or will honest users feel the heat first? 🇵🇰💰