International
oi-Prakash KL
Amid
US
President
Donald
Trump
taking
credit
for
the
ceasefire
between
India
and
Pakistan,
it
is
now
reported
that
a
cryptocurrency
venture
connected
to
has
family
signed
a
high-stakes
deal
with
Pakistan’s
Crypto
Council.
The
deal
was
formalised
(April
26)
just
days
after
the
Pahalgam
attack
in
Kashmir
in
which
26
civilians
were
killed.
The
Deal
Trump’s
sons
Eric
and
Donald
Jr.
hold
a
majority
stake
in
the
World
Liberty
Financial
(WLF),
a
blockchain
investment
firm
which
signed
a
preliminary
agreement
with
the
Pakistan
Crypto
Council
in
April,
according
to
a
report
in
The
Times
of
India.
Zachary
Witkoff,
son
of
Trump’s
longtime
business
associate
Steve
Witkoff,
alongside
WLF
executives
Zachary
Folkman
and
Chase
Herro
went
to
Islamabad
to
finalise
the
agreement.
The
report
claims
that
they
met
Pakistan’s
Prime
Minister
Shehbaz
Sharif
and
Army
Chief
General
Asim
Munir
and
had
a
closed-door
meeting.
The
involvement
of
Gen.
Munir’s
in
the
deal
has
fueled
speculation
in
India
about
whether
financial
incentives
influenced
Pakistan’s
military
stance
during
the
crisis.
Days
after
formation,
Pakistan
Crypto
Council
roped
in
Binance
founder
Changpeng
Zhao
on
board
as
Adviser,
thereby
raising
its
credibility.
For
the
unversed,
Binance
is
the
world’s
largest
cryptocurrency
exchange.
According
to
WLF
and
the
Pakistan
Crypto
Council,
the
partnership
aims
to
advance
blockchain
adoption
in
Pakistan’s
financial
sector,
including
stablecoin
development,
asset
tokenization,
and
regulatory
sandboxes
for
decentralized
finance
projects.
After
signing
the
agreement,
Vetkoff
had
praised
Pakistan’s
economic
potential,
stating,
“Pakistan
is
one
of
the
fastest-emerging
economies.
We
are
excited
to
be
part
of
its
journey
towards
a
vibrant
financial
future.”
However,
WLF
has
dismissed
claims
of
political
motives,
stating
its
focus
is
on
“financial
inclusion
and
digital
transformation” in
emerging
markets.
However,
the
involvement
of
Trump-affiliated
figures
and
the
deal’s
timing
have
led
to
suspicions
in
India
that
economic
incentives
may
be
linked
to
geopolitical
maneuvering.
Neither
the
Trump
family
nor
the
U.S.
State
Department
has
publicly
commented
on
the
agreement.
Pahalgam
Attack
On
April
22,
terrorists
linked
to
Pakistan
carried
out
attacks
on
civilians
in
Pahalgam,
killing
26
civilians.
In
response,
India
suspended
the
Indus
Water
Treaty
and
downgraded
diplomatic
ties
with
Pakistan.
More
importantly,
it
carried
out
strikes
on
nine
terror
infrastructure
in
nine
locations
in
Pakistan
and
in
the
PoK.
Thereafter,
Pakistan
engaged
with
India
in
a
conflict
for
four
days
of
cross-border
drone
and
missile
strikes
before
agreeing
to
a
ceasefire
on
May
10.
Trump,
who
was
once
the
strongest
critic
of
Pakistan,
has
been
trying
to
take
credit
for
brokering
peace
between
India
and
Pakistan.
