Pakistan FIA Launches Crypto Crime Unit, PVARA Drafts License Rules

Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency planted a dedicated Cryptocurrency Investigation Unit inside its National Command and Control Centre. The unit targets virtual assets used in money laundering and terrorism financing, the FIA said. It sits alongside broader enforcement upgrades: SWAT teams, new vehicles, a Director International Coordination role, and roughly 1,300 new officials, according to Dawn.

The extra headcount and a liaison function usually mean more cross-border requests to exchanges and analytics vendors, faster execution on warrants, and a lower threshold for opening cases when red flags show up. For exchanges, OTC desks, brokers, payment gateways, or custody services serving Pakistani nationals, expect more inquiries. If KYC is thin or the SAR pipeline is messy, now is the time to fix it.

Parallel to the enforcement push, the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority closed a public consultation on July 2, 2026 for its draft Virtual Asset Services Regulations. The document sets out a ten-category licensing framework for VASPs and a path from a no-objection certificate to a full licence, PVARA said. The categories cover exchange activity, brokerage and dealing, custody and wallet services, token issuance and listing agents, and analytics or compliance tooling. Full-stack shops may need separate permissions for each function they bundle.