Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority chairman Bilal bin Saqib said he will continue dialogue with scholars after meeting Mufti Taqi Usmani, who issued an Islamic legal ruling that purchases using cryptocurrency, including stablecoins such as USDT, are not permissible under their interpretation of Sharia law. The ruling, signed by Usmani and five other scholars from Jamia Darul Uloom Karachi, stated that digital tokens do not qualify as recognized property or wealth. Saqib emphasized that blockchain technology, digital assets, stablecoins and tokenized real‑world assets span a broad range of technologies and use cases, and that each category should receive careful technical assessment alongside rigorous Shariah examination rather than being judged by a single lens. He added that protecting Pakistanis from fraud, exploitation and financial harm is a priority. The discussion comes as Pakistan relaxes restrictions on the crypto sector; on April 15 the State Bank of Pakistan allowed banks to open accounts for virtual asset service providers licensed by PVARA, ending an eight‑year ban. The move follows the passage of the Virtual Assets Act 2026 in March, which created PVARA as the statutory regulator for licensing and oversight of virtual asset activities. The regulator’s call for ongoing dialogue highlights the tension between developing a regulated crypto market and religious objections that may influence public acceptance in a country where over 96% of the population identifies as Muslim.