ISLAMABAD – In a time when lawmakers, ministers, the National Assembly Speaker, and Senate Chairman have received massive pay raises, one special assistant in Pakistan stands out — not only does he take no salary, but he even pays for his own air travel.
Bilal Bin Saqib, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister, works entirely at his own expense. His department incurs no cost to the government, yet his contributions are so significant that he has brought Pakistan and the US closer together — to the extent that even Indian media has taken notice.
Bilal Bin Saqib is a Forbes “30 Under 30” honoree and co-founder of Tayaba, a social organization working to solve Pakistan’s water crisis.
In 2023, he was awarded an MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) for his contributions to the UK’s National Health Service — an honor recognizing long-term impactful public service.
He currently heads Pakistan’s Crypto Council, the only department in the country operating with zero government funding. All travel and operational expenses — including those of the staff — are paid by Bilal himself.
Despite not using state funds, the Council’s work has drawn international praise, especially for helping strengthen Pak-U.S. relations amid growing American interest in crypto, particularly from President Donald Trump.
Bilal has played a key role in bringing major crypto leaders to Pakistan, including Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) and MicroStrategy’s Michael Saylor. Both agreed to serve as crypto advisors to Pakistan due to Bilal’s efforts.
He is also developing a state crypto wallet to fund the future operations of the Council, aiming to transform it into a fully self-reliant body — not only independent of the national treasury but one that contributes to it.
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