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Pakistani water charity becomes global pioneer in fundraising using NFTs

Bilal Bin Saqib, the founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Tayaba Organisation, the first entity raising funds for charity through blockchain-based Non-Fungible Token (NFT) technology, speaks about NFTs for social good at the ETH conference in Barcelona, Spain, held in the first week of July. (Photo courtesy: Tayaba Organisation)
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Updated 30 July 2022
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Pakistani water charity becomes global pioneer in fundraising using NFTs

  • Tayaba Organisation, which works in Pakistan’s remote areas, recently raised Rs2 million from its first NFT collection
  • CEO Bilal bin Saqib says he plans to hold a Web3 conference in Pakistan for which he has already invited Ethereum co-founder
Updated 30 July 2022
KHURSHID AHMED   

KARACHI: Tayaba Organisation, a Pakistani non-governmental organization (NGO), has become the first global entity to raise charity funds to address water scarcity issues by implementing the innovative blockchain-based Non-Fungible Token (NFT) technology, the founder of the organization said on Saturday.




In this undated photo, women fill their water cans in the Thar desert region in Pakistan, where water shortage is a major issue. (Photo courtesy: Tayaba Organisation)   

The charity organization is engaged in Pakistan’s remote desert and mountainous regions, hit by acute water shortages, through its innovative solution ‘H2O wheel,’ or Help 2 Others, which is a specially designed water-carrying can tailored as a simple and effective product that helps transport safe water and is aimed at removing burden off the shoulders. The organization has impacted lives of over 100,000 people in underserved areas housing marginalized communities.   

“Tayaba [Organisation] has become the first Pakistani NGO and one of the first globally to implement the innovative blockchain-based NFT technology for fundraising purposes in the charity sector,” Bilal bin Saqib, the founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of the charity, told Arab News in an exclusive interview on Saturday.   

“NFTs are the next fundraising frontier because they offer something beyond just a direct monetary donation, unlike cryptocurrencies. They offer the chance to be part of a community of like-minded people. When you buy an NFT for social good, you're not just giving your money to a cause, but becoming emotionally invested in the project itself.”  

NFTs are financials asset consisting of digital data stored in a blockchain that can’t be replicated. The ownership of an NFT, recorded in the blockchain, can be transferred by the owner that allows NFTs to be sold and traded.   

“If you think about it, most things in the real world are 'non-fungible,' like your dog, house or parents. Even you are non-fungible because you’re unique and there is only one of you. In more technical terms, NFTs are files that live on the blockchain,” Saqib explained. 

“This means that NFTs cannot be altered or deleted from some central system and the transaction history is readily viewable on the blockchain by anyone. NFTs allow you to own digital media assets like you own digital currencies, e.g. Bitcoin. Art is a very common form of NFTs.”  

The organization has currently got two live collections on Opensea, one of the biggest NFT hosting platforms. The first consists of 12 assets, including trading cards, animated images and gifs. The second collection includes three tiers of loyalty cards that give their holders special benefits. 

“We’ve got H2O green, silver and gold cards that carry their own unique advantages, including access to all the information on how your water wheel contributions are being distributed,” the Tayaba Organisation CEO said. 

Saqib, who previously featured on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in recognition of social entrepreneurship through his organization, said he was overjoyed by fundraising through first NFT collections.  

“Tayaba's first collection of NFTs was also geared towards the art of storytelling. We told the world about Fantastic Fatima, Happy Habiba, empowerment, economic growth and gender equality,” he said. 

"We wanted the world to see the faces we helped and the lives we tried to change. And we succeeded beyond our wildest dreams by raising Rs2 million ($8,364) from our first collection." 




In this undated photo, Bilal Bin Saqib, the founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Tayaba Organisation, takes a selfie with Vilatik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum cryptocurrency, in London, United Kingdom. (Photo courtesy: Tayaba Organisation)   

Passionate for Pakistan’s digital journey, the Tayaba Organisation chief said he plans to organize a conference in Pakistan, for which he has already invited Vitalik Buterin, the co-founder of Ethereum, who has accepted the invite. 

“I don’t want Pakistan to be left behind in the next big leap of technology and the internet which is why I plan to one day hold a Web3 Pakistan Conference. That is my big vision and so, when I ran into Vitalik Buterin at EthCC (Ethereum Community Conference), I had to go up to him and invite him to it,” Saqib, who graduated in social innovation and entrepreneurship from the London School of Economics, told Arab News.  

“Who would be a better keynote speaker at Eth Pakistan than the co-founder of Ethereum himself. He was very amiable about the whole thing and expressed a desire to come visit Pakistan at some point in the future. I would be honored and excited to host him when he does come.”  

Pakistan, which has yet to decide about the future of crypto currency trade within its territorial boundaries, ranked third on the Crypto Adoption Index 2021, while its citizens hold $20 billion in cryptocurrencies, according to Chainanalysis, an American blockchain analysis firm headquartered in New York. 

“Blockchain knows no boundaries and I believe social good should be the same. The decentralised nature makes it so that anyone can participate regardless of geography and having any crypto wallet can give you access to the cause,” Saqib said.   

“As far as Pakistan’s policy on crypto goes, there is no outright ban but just a discouragement from the State Bank of Pakistan, as per their many circulars which encourage people to 'refrain' due to 'risks'.”  

To a question about the future of crypto trade in Pakistan, the Tayaba Organisation chief said the country remains a lucrative market despite the government’s “unsure” policy. 

“The government has had an unsure policy regarding crypto, which has sadly inhibited many Pakistanis who are enthusiastic about Web3 technologies. Despite that, it's also important to note that Pakistan has a pretty lucrative and vastly undocumented crypto ecosystem,” he said.  

“There is a lot of potential for cryptocurrency and other Web3 technologies in Pakistan. Think of the kind of earnings the government could make by formalising and legalising this economy. There would be foreign exchange earnings, a globally competitive market of internet businesses, and direct and indirect tax revenue.”   

Web3 is an idea for a new iteration of the world wide web that incorporates concepts such as decentralization, blockchain technologies and token-based economy. 

Blockchain technology can be used to resolve land disputes, agricultural problems and even end corruption, according to Saqib. Through transparency and immutability, the blockchain can be a decentralized guarantor that can’t be bribed, edited or biased.  

Asked about any problems he faced in fundraising through NFTs, Saqib said the "confused" government policies had been a challenge for the charity.  

“Lack of awareness among people about NFTs, setting up crypto wallets, and the generally confused policies of our government have posed some challenges to us,” he said. 

"We guide our donors on how to set up their crypto wallets and educate them about NFTs. With time we have seen inhibition around NFTs reduce, which is a good sign." 

Saqib said he would keep creating awareness about Web3, which hosts decentralized apps that run on blockchain technology, in Pakistan.  

“I will continue to advocate for and raise awareness regarding Web3 in Pakistan. Tayaba is just one platform to do that. We used NFTs primarily as an awareness-raising tool about Tayaba and the benefits of Web3 technology,” he said. 

“I am also working on another platform, Web3 Pakistan, which will provide free courses to Pakistanis becoming blockchain experts and developers. Web3 is going to be big and I don’t want Pakistan to be left behind yet again.” 

Topics: NFTs crypto currencies

Pakistan’s Noman Ali enters ICC Test rankings of top five bowlers

Updated 12 sec ago
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Pakistan’s Noman Ali enters ICC Test rankings of top five bowlers

  • Ali became 5th Pakistan bowler to grab a Test hat trick in Pakistan’s second Test against West Indies
  • India’s Jasprit Bumrah ranked number 1, followed by Pat Cummins, Kagiso Rabada and Josh Hazlewood
Updated 12 sec ago
KASHIF IMRAN

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani spinner Noman Ali has made it to the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Test rankings of top five bowlers, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Wednesday.

Ali shone with his brilliant performance in Pakistan’s two-match Test series against West Indies, becoming the fifth Pakistan bowler to grab a Test hat trick.

“He is currently the top-ranked spinner in the format after taking 16 wickets across two Tests vs West Indies,” the PCB said in a statement.

India’s Jasprit Bumrah is ranked number one Test bowler by the ICC, followed by Australian Pat Cummins, South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada and Josh Hazlewood, also from Australia.

Pakistan triumphed in the first Test in Multan by 127 runs. The West Indies won the second Test in Multan by 120 runs to draw the series 1-1.

This was the West Indies first Test win in Pakistan in nearly 35 years. The last time the West Indies won a Test in Pakistan was in Faisalabad in November 1990, having gone winless on their 1997 and 2006 tours.

Topics: noman ali ICC Test ranking ICC ranking

Pakistan voices security concerns over presence of US weapons in Afghanistan

Updated 41 min 42 sec ago
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Pakistan voices security concerns over presence of US weapons in Afghanistan

  • The weapons and equipment were reportedly left in the aftermath of a chaotic withdrawal of US and allied forces from Afghanistan in August 2021
  • Islamabad says it has repeatedly asked authorities in Kabul to take necessary measures to ensure these weapons do not fall into the wrong hands
Updated 41 min 42 sec ago
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday voiced “profound concern” over the presence of advance United States (US) weapons in Afghanistan, which Washington has sought to be returned by Kabul’s Afghan Taliban rulers.

The weapons and equipment, coopted by the Afghan Taliban, were reportedly left behind in the aftermath of a chaotic withdrawal of US and allied forces from Afghanistan in August 2021. The previous administration of Joe Biden maintained that US forces had not left behind any equipment during the withdrawal that could be used by militants to target Pakistan.

However, President Donald Trump on Jan. 20 accused the Biden administration of giving “our military equipment, a big chunk of it, to the enemy,” conditioning Afghan aid to the return of these weapons. Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities on Wednesday called for the humanitarian aid not to be politicized.

“The presence of US advance weapons in Afghanistan, left behind in the aftermath of the withdrawal of its troops in August 2021, has been an issue of profound concern for the safety and security of Pakistan and its citizens,” the Pakistani foreign office said in a statement.

“These weapons have been used by terrorist organizations, including the TTP [Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan], to carry out terrorist attacks in Pakistan.”

The statement came months after Pakistani security sources said custom authorities had seized a large cache of US-made weapons and ammunition worth approximately Rs35 million ($125,000) at a border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The weapons seized at the Torkham border crossing in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province included M4 rifles and magazines, security sources said in Oct. last year.

Pakistan has struggled to contain surging militancy in KP since a fragile truce between the Pakistani Taliban, or the TTP, and the state broke down in November 2022.

The TTP and other militant groups have frequently targeted security forces convoys and check-posts, besides targeted killings and kidnappings of law enforcers and government officials in recent months.

In 2024 alone, the Pakistani military reported that 383 soldiers and 925 militants were killed in various clashes.

“We have been repeatedly calling upon the de facto authorities in Kabul to take all necessary measures to ensure that these weapons do not fall into the wrong hands,” the foreign office added.

The development comes at a time of strained ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan, and Islamabad has frequently blamed the surge in militancy on Afghanistan, accusing it of sheltering and supporting militant groups that launch cross-border attacks. Afghan officials deny involvement and insist that Pakistan’s security issues are an internal matter of Islamabad.

Topics: US weapons Afghanistan Afghan Taliban

Lion cub gifted to Pakistani YouTube star causes wedding chaos

Updated 30 January 2025
AFP
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Lion cub gifted to Pakistani YouTube star causes wedding chaos

  • Rajab Butt has one of the largest online followings in the South Asian country and his week-long nuptials in late December were plastered over celebrity gossip websites
  • Pictures spread rapidly online when a sleepy lion cub was presented to him in a gold-chained cage in front of thousands of guests who partied late into the night in Lahore
Updated 30 January 2025
AFP

LAHORE: A Pakistani YouTube star who was gifted a lion cub on his wedding day has avoided jail after promising a judge to upload animal rights videos for a year.

Rajab Butt has one of the largest online followings in the South Asian country and his week-long nuptials in late December were plastered over celebrity gossip websites.

When a sleepy lion cub, resembling young Simba from the 2019 “Lion King” film, was presented to him in a gold-chained cage in front of thousands of guests who partied late into the night in the eastern megacity of Lahore, pictures spread rapidly online.

Butt captioned a video of the event “it’s raining gifts,” racking up nearly 10 million views.

The morning after, police raided his house, confiscated the cub and kept the newly-wed in custody overnight.

“We found out about the lion cub through social media,” said Faisal Mushtaq, an inspector from the Punjab provincial wildlife department.

Police officers went to Butt’s house and found the lion cub roaming around the garage, he said.

“It was in a poor condition, as it was very cold,” said Mushtaq.

Lion cubs rest beside their mother at a safari zoo in Lahore on January 28, 2025. (AFP)

Last week, Butt pleaded guilty to owning an undocumented wild animal but the judge waived a possible fine and prison sentence of up to two years for a more tailored punishment.

Every month for one year, he must post a five-minute video dedicated to animal rights, said the order by judge Hamid Ul Rahman Nasir.

The social media influencer agreed to the conditions, after admitting in a court statement that he “set a poor example” by accepting the gift and going on to “glorify it.”

Butt is one of the country’s highest-paid YouTube stars, according to the platform, and usually posts videos about his family’s daily life, from arguments to new car purchases.

Tanvir Janjua, a veteran wildlife official in Punjab, said the cub was likely bought for between 700,000 and 800,000 Pakistani rupees ($2,500-$2,900).

“It is so wrong, morally and legally, to take away such a small cub from its mother,” which was likely still feeding it, he told AFP.

NEW REGULATIONS

A week after the YouTuber was arrested, an adult lion escaped from his cage, running through the narrow streets of a Lahore neighborhood as residents clambered to their rooftops.

The full-grown adult male was eventually shot dead by a security guard, prompting heated outrage on social media about the dangers of keeping a big cat in a residential area.

Big cats are imported and bred across Pakistan, seen as symbols of wealth and power to the elite that own them.

Last year, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, which rules the government, banned supporters from bringing lions — the symbol of the party — to political rallies.

However, stringent new regulations banning private ownership of big cats in residential areas are currently making their way through Punjab’s provincial government.

Breeders would have to buy a license and have at least 10 acres (four hectares) of land on a site approved by wildlife officials.

‘NEVER BE YOUR PET’

The gifted lion cub, which hasn’t been named, is now enjoying the winter sun in an open pen at Lahore’s sprawling Safari Zoo on the edge of the city, under the watchful eye of a handler.

Janjua, also the zoo’s deputy director, has conducted hundreds of raids against owners, breeders and poachers over the past 33 years to confiscate wild animals, including lions which often had their teeth and claws removed.

“Look at these YouTubers who use these animals to get clicks. What kind of a message are they spreading by being cruel to these animals?” he said, scornful of those who parade them in their cars and at political rallies.

“They can never be your pet. For two or three months it won’t say anything but after that, it will turn aggressive.”

As he nears retirement, Janjua says attitudes toward animals have worsened throughout his career. Laws, however, have improved, he says.

“Now wildlife officials have dedicated uniforms, weapons and we will get our own courts,” he told AFP.

“The courts that already exist are now strict about animal cruelty.”

Topics: lion Rajab Butt

Next two years ‘crucial’ for Pakistan to expand presence in key Saudi business sectors— envoy

Updated 30 January 2025
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Next two years ‘crucial’ for Pakistan to expand presence in key Saudi business sectors— envoy

  • Ahmad Farooq urges Pakistan to impart skills to its workforce in line with requirements of Saudi market
  • Says Pakistanis can enhance presence in Kingdom’s construction, IT, health care, hotels and hospitality sectors
Updated 30 January 2025
NAIMAT KHAN

KARACHI: Pakistan’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ahmad Farooq this week said that the next two years are crucial for Pakistani entities to expand their presence in key Saudi business sectors, urging them to capitalize on Riyadh’s ambitious measures to make its economy less dependent on oil. 

Saudi Arabia is consolidating its economy on modern lines under the Vision 2030 program, which is a strategic development framework intended to cut the Kingdom’s reliance on oil. It is aimed at developing public service sectors such as health, education, infrastructure, recreation and tourism.

Pakistan has pushed for greater trade and economic ties with the Kingdom in recent months. In October 2024, the two countries signed business agreements worth $2.8 billion. Saudi Arabia is also home to over two million Pakistani expatriates, serving as the largest source of foreign workers’ remittances for the South Asian nation. 

Farooq visited the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) on Wednesday to engage with Pakistani businesspersons and industrialists, a statement from the KCCI said. 

“Pakistan’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ahmad Farooq, while highlighting the massive transformation in Saudi Arabia under Vision 2030 focused on diversifying the economy beyond oil, emphasized that the next one to two years will be crucial for Pakistan in expanding its presence in Saudi Arabia,” the KCCI said. 

Farooq noted that the there would be “abundant opportunities” in Saudi Arabia’s construction, information technology, health care and hotels & hospitality sectors in the next two years.

He stressed the need for Pakistan to impart skills to its workforce so that they can secure employment in the Kingdom. 

“If we do not claim our share immediately, it will be taken by competitors but to achieve this, Pakistan needs to focus on improving its workforce by imparting training as per Saudi requirements.”

The Pakistani envoy stressed that Saudi Arabia aims to become a regional IT hub, creating a substantial demand for human resources and expertise. 

He said this presented Pakistan’s IT companies a “significant opportunity” to provide services and products to the rapidly growing sector. 

Farooq said Saudi Arabia will host four major international events in the next decade, namely the Asian Football Cup in 2027, the Asian Winter Games in 2029, the World Expo in Riyadh in 2030, and the FIFA World Cup in 2034.

“To support these events, Saudi Arabia is investing heavily in infrastructure, including the construction of 250 new hotels,” Farooq said. 

“This expansion creates opportunities for Pakistan’s home textile industry, food exports, and trained workforce in hospitality and housekeeping.”

He said mega construction projects in Saudi Arabia, such as Neom City, also presented opportunities for Pakistani contractors. 

“Companies from around the world are securing lucrative contracts, and Pakistan must also seize this opportunity,” Farooq said. 

Topics: Pakistan Saudi Ties Pakistan Saudi Arabia

Pakistan appreciates EU for GSP Plus status after passing controversial cybercrime law

Updated 29 January 2025
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Pakistan appreciates EU for GSP Plus status after passing controversial cybercrime law

  • Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar meets EU Special Representative for Human Rights Ambassador Olaf Skoog in Islamabad
  • Pakistani rights activists say government’s new cybercrime law is aimed at cracking on dissent on social media
Updated 29 January 2025
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday met a senior European Union official to thank the inter-governmental body for its support for Pakistan’s GSP Plus status, hours after it passed a controversial cybercrime law that rights bodies and journalists allege is aimed at suppressing freedom of expression online. 
The GSP Plus status gives developing countries such as Pakistan a special incentive to pursue sustainable development and good governance. Countries have to implement 27 international conventions on human rights, labor rights, the environment and good governance in return for the EU to cut its import duties to zero on more than two-thirds of the tariff lines of their exports. In October 2023, the EU rolled over the current GSP Plus status for developing countries, including Pakistan, till 2027.
Pakistan’s digital rights experts, however, have raised concern that the government’s action of adopting the controversial Prevention of Electronic Crimes Amendment Bill, 2025, which opposition and journalists say is aimed at taking action against dissent on social media platforms, can put Pakistan’s GSP Plus status in danger. 
Dar, who also serves as Pakistan’s foreign minister, met EU Special Representative for Human Rights Ambassador Olaf Skoog at the foreign ministry’s office on Wednesday. 
“The DPM/FM highlighted Pakistan-EU’s growing cooperation in the political and economic spheres and appreciated EU’s continued support for Pakistan’s GSP plus status,” the ministry said. 
Dar underscored the importance of Pakistan-EU dialogue on human rights, emphasizing that Islamabad was a firm believer in the protection of fundamental rights. He said the Pakistani government continued to enact and strengthen human rights legislation.
The ministry said Skoog “positively” assessed the potential of Pakistan-EU relations and appreciated the continued growth of collaborative partnership across all sectors.
“The EU SR is on a four-day visit to Pakistan,” the ministry said. “The visit is part of Pakistan-EU joint efforts to enhance dialogue on Human Rights.”
Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday signed the bill into law after it was approved by both houses of Pakistan’s parliament following noisy protests by journalists and lawmakers. 
The new amendment bill now proposes the establishment of the Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority to perform a range of functions related to social media, including awareness, training, regulation, enlistment and blocking. 
SMPRA would be able to order the immediate blocking of unlawful content targeting judges, the armed forces, parliament or provincial assemblies or material which promotes and encourages terrorism and other forms of violence against the state or its institutions. 
The law also makes spreading disinformation a criminal offense punishable by three years in prison and a fine of two million rupees ($7,150).
A copy of the bill seen by Arab News has set imprisonment of up to three years and a fine of Rs2 million or both for “whoever intentionally disseminates, publicly exhibits, or transmits any information through any information system, that he knows or has reason to believe to be false or fake and likely to cause or create a sense of fear, panic or disorder or unrest in general public or society.”
Information Minister Ataullah Tarar told reporters last week that the bill will protect journalists and not harm them.
“This is the first time the government has defined what social media is,” Tarar said. “There is already a system in place for print and electronic media and complaints can be registered against them.”
He said “working journalists” should not feel threatened by the bill, which had to be passed because the Federal Investigation Agency, previously responsible for handling cybercrime, “does not have the capacity to handle child pornography or AI deep fake cases.”

Topics: Pakistan EU Ties PECA

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