Pakistan Explores Digital Finance At IMF World Bank Meetings

Pakistan has explored new digital finance opportunities during high-level engagements held on the sidelines of the IMF and World Bank meetings in Bangkok. The discussions focused on how the country can position itself for the next phase of international financial innovation, including digital capital markets, asset tokenisation, artificial intelligence, cross-border payments and technology-supported regulatory oversight.

Minister of State and Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority Chairman Bilal Bin Saqib held meetings with senior officials linked to international financial institutions. The engagements examined ways emerging financial technologies could help Pakistan attract investment, deepen capital markets and create new financing channels for both the public and private sectors.

In a meeting with Imad N. Fakhoury, Regional Vice President for the Middle East and Central Asia at the International Finance Corporation, participants discussed possible cooperation on tokenised bonds and sukuk, digital financial infrastructure, cross-border payments and the mobilisation of international private capital. These areas are increasingly important as countries look for faster and more transparent ways to raise funds and manage financial flows.

Bilal Bin Saqib also met Jorge Familiar, Vice President and Treasurer of the World Bank Group, to discuss potential collaboration on digital bond issuance, asset tokenisation and AI-enabled financial operations. The talks reflected Pakistan’s interest in using financial technology not only for innovation but also for broader access to investment and more efficient market systems.

A separate engagement with World Bank Group officials responsible for Digital and AI focused on the possible use of artificial intelligence in financial regulation. The discussions covered supervisory capacity, institutional expertise and digital asset oversight, all of which are important for building public confidence in emerging financial systems.

Officials also explored asset tokenisation and ways to use global technical expertise to strengthen Pakistan’s regulatory infrastructure. The discussions linked digital finance with the wider goal of developing the country’s digital economy and creating a more credible framework for virtual assets and technology-driven financial products.

Another meeting examined blockchain-enabled financial transparency, AI-powered regulatory supervision and the institutional foundations needed for Pakistan’s emerging digital asset regulatory framework. These areas are likely to shape how the country manages risks while encouraging innovation in financial markets.

A roundtable with international investors also reviewed Pakistan’s macroeconomic fundamentals, structural reforms, investment opportunities and renewed engagement with global capital markets. Bilal Bin Saqib said Pakistan needed to move beyond simply adopting emerging financial technologies and should build institutions capable of shaping the future of finance, while keeping financial stability at the centre of economic transformation.