### 💧 **BREAKING: Waqar Zaka Powers Pakistan’s First Hydropower Crypto Mining Farm in KP!** 💧
**🏞️ The Pioneer Project**
In 2021, crypto activist and former TV host **Waqar Zaka** launched Pakistan’s *first-ever* hydropower-driven Bitcoin mining farm in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Using his own funds (₹20 million) and zero foreign investment, Zaka transformed KP’s untapped hydropower potential into a crypto-mining pilot approved by the provincial government for "research and development" . The facility aimed to leverage the region’s abundant water resources—with a potential 30,000 MW of hydroelectricity—to mine Bitcoin sustainably .
**🔧 Behind the Scenes**
- **Government Collaboration**: Zaka convinced KP’s Advisor on Science & Technology, **Zia Ullah Bangash**, to form the *KP Crypto Advisory Committee* in 2021. The committee drafted regulations and planned two pilot mining farms .
- **Federal Roadblocks**: Despite provincial support, the federal government halted progress. Bangash resigned after the PM’s office blocked the crypto bill, and FIA raided a mining farm in Shangla, confiscating equipment .
- **Public Reaction**: Mixed! While some hailed Zaka as a "hero," others criticized the project for inflating GPU prices and questioned its viability given Pakistan’s expensive electricity .
**🌍 The Bhutan Contrast**
While Pakistan’s project stalled, **Bhutan** secretly scaled hydropower mining starting in 2020. Today, it ranks as the **5th-largest Bitcoin holder globally**, with reserves worth **$1.2 billion** (35% of its GDP!** 🇧🇹 Bhutan’s success underscores KP’s missed opportunity .
**⚡ Waqar Zaka’s Fight**
Zaka spent years advocating for crypto:
- Petitioned against Pakistan’s 2017 crypto ban and won .
- Predicted Bitcoin’s surge (from $268 to $5,000+) and urged state investment .
- Launched the *Technology Movement Pakistan* to drive crypto adoption .
**✨ 2025 Update: Pakistan’s Crypto U-Turn!**
