SECP marks nearly 40,000 non

SECP marks nearly 40,000 non-filing companies inactive

October 31, 2026 (MLN):The Securities
and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has marked 39,704 companies
“Inactive by Registrar” for failing to file annual returns and/or financial
statements for four years.

The commission said the
step will make the corporate register more reliable and help prevent dormant
companies from being misused, according to a press release issued.

The inactive status will
appear in the SECP’s system and be visible to banks and other stakeholders.

These companies will not
be able to open new bank accounts, access financial services or register
changes in their directors until they file their overdue documents and regain
active status.

The SECP said filing
annual returns and, where required, financial statements is a legal requirement
under the Companies Act, 2017, and keeps public information on companies, their
ownership and management current.

It said prolonged
non-filing weakens the corporate register and can hinder efforts to curb money
laundering and terrorist financing.

The register continues to
grow, with 317,002 companies registered at the end of September 2026.

The SECP registered 43,559
new companies in the previous financial year, 24% more than a year earlier.

Name reservation and
incorporation are now fully digital, with 99.9% of new companies registered
online.

SECP Chairman Dr Kabir
Ahmed Sidhu said a clean and credible registry is the foundation of trust in
the corporate sector, adding that the commission is protecting the integrity of
the financial system while giving companies a clear chance to return to compliance.