Pakistan, which has often made headlines for two major reasons-- a debt-ridden country that repeatedly seeks loans, and a nation that shelters hundreds of wanted terrorists. But in recent months, it seems Islamabad has suddenly polished its image. Its name is now leading the newspapers with a Iran-US peace broker. So, what changed Pakistan's decades long terrorism epictentre image to a peace negotiator. Amidst the Middle East chaos, a 35-year-old man from Lahore has reportedly played a significant role in improving ties between the United States and Islamabad. This helped Islamabad in securing victories in multiple ways-- from getting fresh tranche of IMF loans to getting closer to US President Donald Trump's inner ciricle.
Who is working behind the scenes for Pakistan?
According to a Bloomberg report, the recent waves of praise from Trump came after Bilal Bin Saqib, 35, played a key behind-the-scenes role in shaping US-Pakistan relations. The boy who had once worked at shops and cleaned toilets is now a popular face in Pakistan’s lobby group.
His presence was noticed in the local media when he was seen sharing photographs with Zachary Witkoff, chief executive officer of World Liberty Financial, the crypto platform co-founded by US President.
As per the report, he was also seen standing beside Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, the nation’s even more powerful military chief, when the 32-year-old son of Trump adviser Steve Witkoff met in Islamabad.
How Saqib managed to enter Trump's inner circle
The report revealed a timeline of how a young boy entered the clubmember who shaped the relations between the two nations. In order to understand how Saqib managed to secure a big position, let’s deep dive into his journey.
Saqib was born in Lahore, Pakistan’s second-biggest city. His interest in crypto began in 2017 when Bitcoin’s price jumped from under USD 1,000 to USD 14,000 in one year. While studying in the UK, he worked three jobs to support himself, including stacking shelves and cleaning toilets at his university's grocery store. Later, he earned a master’s degree from the London School of Economics.
In 2019, he and his brother started Tayaba, a charity that helps poor women get clean drinking water. His work earned him TED Talks and a Forbes feature. During the Covid pandemic in the UK, Saqib launched the One Million Meals campaign to feed health workers and needy people. He was praised by then UK PM Boris Johnson and received the MBE honour from the British royal family.
Though successful in social work, he faced challenges in crypto. For four years, he worked at a small firm called The Coin Master. His social media posts on crypto were hit when Pakistan sidelined the official use, citing potential of mass scale fraud. However, in March 2025, he joined Pakistan’s government. It is not clear how he managed to get a major role in Pakistan, experts view his orating skills as a masterstoke behind his success
Soon after, he convinced Binance founder Changpeng Zhao to become an advisor to Pakistan’s Crypto Council. He then hosted executives from World Liberty Financial in Islamabad and signed an agreement to promote stablecoins.
How Saqib became a game changer asset for debt-ridden Pakistan?
Saqib also spoke about Pakistan’s crypto plans at a Bitcoin conference in Las Vegas. He later joined trade talks in Washington and helped create a new trade deal with the US. This deal cut US tariffs on Pakistani goods to 19 per cent and led the Trump administration to label the Balochistan Liberation Army as a terrorist group.
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It also paves a way for Pakistan to mediate Iran-US peace talks, if hosted successfully, it would be the most influential diplomatic push that could at least clean the dented image of Islamabad globally.