Crypto minister Bilal Bin Saqib resigns as SAPM after rules clash with role

Bilal Bin Saqib, Pakistan’s Minister of State for Crypto and Blockchain, has resigned from his post as Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Blockchain and Crypto in order to comply with bureaucratic regulations, The Express Tribune has learnt.

Rumours that the crypto ministry was shutting down started circulating on WhatsApp on Tuesday. "The crypto developments for Pakistan are still ongoing and the minister is speaking at Binance Blockchain Week on Wednesday, December 3, in Dubai," said a staffer informed of the changes.

Saqib had to resign because the Rules of Business 1973 say that you cannot be an SAPM if you are the chairman of a statutory regulatory authority such as the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority.

A copy of the resignation was acquired by The Express Tribune.

Saqib was appointed Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Blockchain and Crypto with the status of Minister of State in May 2025. He has been leading Pakistan’s national blockchain strategy and helped with the establishment of the regulatory authority of which he is currently chairman.