TURKISH President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has expressed Ankara’s readiness to contribute to a mechanism established to maintain stability amid ‘extended ceasefire’ between Pakistan and Afghanistan, after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at an international forum on Friday urged the global community to press the Afghan Taliban to honour their international obligations and curb terrorist groups operating from Afghan soil.
President Erdoğan made the offer during a meeting with PM Shehbaz on the sidelines of the international forum held in Turkmenistan, where the Premier also held meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon and Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov.
The Turkish leader deserves credit for his continued commitment to the cause of peace in the region despite lukewarm response by the Taliban Government in Afghanistan. Turkiye, together with Qatar, hosted and mediated three rounds of peace talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Istanbul in late October and early November, aimed at solidifying a ceasefire agreement reached in Doha following deadly border clashes but the talks faced impasses over implementing monitoring mechanisms for cross-border terrorism as Afghanistan was not ready to provide written guarantee not to allow the use of its soil for hostile activities against Pakistan. After his meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Baku, President Erdoğan had announced last month to send a delegation consisting of Turkish Foreign Minister, Defence Minister and Intelligence Chief to carry forward the peace process. Erdoğan said, “Turkiye is closely following the terrorist attacks in Pakistan and the tension between Pakistan and Afghanistan” and expressed hope that the talks will yield results towards lasting stability. Pakistan welcomed the move with Foreign Office spokesperson declaring Pakistan’s intention has always been to constructively engage with Afghanistan so as to enable it to become a stable, peaceful and prosperous country that is at peace within and with its neighbours. However, the visit faced delays due to non-cooperation by the Taliban regime, which sticks to its dilly-dallying policy. It is regrettable that despite numerous positive gestures by Pakistan in terms of trade, humanitarian assistance, educational and medical visas facilitation and efforts at international forums to encourage the international community to engage with Taliban regime in the interest of regional peace and stability and for the socio-economic development of Afghanistan and its people, the response from the Taliban regime has only been hollow promises and inaction.
Pakistan has demanded the Afghan government to hand over militants to Pakistan, but Kabul has repeatedly refused to do so, citing a “lack of control.” Pakistan has reasons to believe that the Taliban regime was trying to portray the TTP and Baloch separatist elements as “refugees” in Afghanistan, describing it as a “ploy.” To expose the fallacy of the argument by the Taliban, Pakistan has offered to receive any Pakistani living in Afghanistan and their families, provided they are handed over at the border crossings of Torkham or Chaman and not hurled across the border, fully equipped with sophisticated weapons and equipment. However, there is no positive response from the other side, which exposes the real intentions and plans of the Taliban Government vis-à-vis the issue of terrorism against Pa
MoU with Binance: A new era
THE Finance Ministry has taken a significant step towards leveraging emerging financial technologies to strengthen Pakistan’s capital market and enhance global investor access with the signing of an MoU with global cryptocurrency exchange Binance. Under this arrangement, tokenization of up to $2 billion worth of Pakistan’s real-world and sovereign assets will be explored.
At its core, tokenization involves creating digital representations of physical or financial assets on a blockchain. These tokens can represent ownership or claims on assets such as sovereign bonds, treasury bills or commodity reserves including oil, gas and metals. By enabling assets to be traded digitally, tokenization has the potential to transform traditionally illiquid instruments into more accessible and efficient investment vehicles. For us, the potential benefits are significant. The country has long faced challenges in attracting sustained foreign investment and broadening its investor base. Tokenization could lower entry barriers for international investors by enabling fractional ownership, faster settlement and reduced transaction costs. In doing so, it may help improve liquidity in sovereign instruments and provide Pakistan with wider access to global capital markets. Transparency and trust are equally important considerations. Blockchain-based systems offer immutable and traceable records of transactions, which can enhance accountability and reduce the scope for inefficiencies or misreporting.
The initiative also places Pakistan within a broader global trend. Governments and financial institutions worldwide are experimenting with tokenized bonds, digital commodities and blockchain-based settlement systems. By engaging early with a major global player like Binance, Pakistan positions itself to learn from international best practices and potentially shape regulatory frameworks that balance innovation with financial stability. However, enthusiasm must be tempered with caution. Tokenizing sovereign and real-world assets raises complex legal, regulatory and governance questions. Clear rules on ownership rights, investor protection, cybersecurity and compliance with anti-money laundering standards will be essential. Moreover, given the volatility and reputational risks associated with the crypto sector, any rollout must be gradual, well-regulated and subject to strong oversight. The focus should remain on building institutional capacity, strengthening regulation and ensuring that the benefits of tokenization align with our broader economic priorities.
kistan. It was in this backdrop that the Prime Minister referred to Pakistan’s contribution to promotion of regional and global peace pointing out that the country perseveres in the quest for peace, the scourge of terrorism is, however, raising its head yet again and this time, unfortunately, from Afghan soil. The PM expressed gratitude to Qatar, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates for their efforts in brokering a ceasefire between Islamabad and Kabul, also noting that the ceasefire still stood though it remained ‘fragile’. All moves aimed at regional security and stability as well as progress and development are directly or indirectly linked to Afghanistan, therefore, this issue should be sorted out on a priority basis.
