Senator Blasts Govt for Blocking His Pro-Crypto, Digital Assets Bill

Senator Afnan Ullah on Monday expressed frustration over being prevented from presenting his Virtual Assets Bill 2025 and blasted the government for blocking him. “I spent months drafting this bill, and now I’m barred from presenting it,” he protested during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on IT & Telecom today. He criticized the Ministry of IT and Telecom (MoITT) and accused it of undermining private member initiatives and sidelining his efforts. He vowed to move a privilege motion over the issue. The bill was first blocked during an Upper House Session on Monday. The purpose of the Virtual Assets Bill 2025 is to regulate the issuance, use, trading, and utilization of virtual assets within Pakistan, the introduction of the Digital Rupee backed by the PKR, and other things. Meanwhile, the issue regarding the long-delayed Personal Data Protection Bill was discussed by the committee. IT Ministry officials disclosed that consultations with stakeholders are still ongoing. Member Legal (MoITT) mentioned that the federal cabinet approved the bill in 2022, and will now be re-approved in principle again. The committee decided to hold a public hearing on the Personal Data Protection Bill. Suggestions were also made to merge Senator Afnan Ullah’s bill with the government’s version to expedite the process. Throughout the session, Senator Afnanullah criticized the Ministry of IT for its lack of seriousness, claiming his personal data had been stolen and grilled the Ministry of giving its responsibilities to other entities.