KARACHI: Members of the Association of Builders and Developers of Pakistan (ABAD) are evaluating the possibility of transforming their businesses into corporate entities and registering Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) after participating in an awareness session conducted by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP).

According to Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, the session was led by SECP Commissioner Muzzafar Ahmed Mirza and took place at ABAD’s head office. The event was attended by ABAD Chairman Mohammed Hassan Bakshi, Senior Vice Chairman Syed Afzal Hameed, Vice Chairman Tariq Aziz Memon, and representatives from the builder and developer community.

During the session, Mirza informed participants about SECP’s reforms aimed at simplifying business incorporation, enhancing regulatory clarity, and encouraging informal businesses and partnerships to adopt formal corporate structures. He highlighted that incorporation creates a separate legal entity and typically limits shareholders’ liability, which helps separate business obligations from personal assets.

SECP officials, including Karachi Company Registration Office Incharge Sidney Custodio Pereira, demonstrated the eZfile platform, illustrating how digital integration with external registries has streamlined incorporation and corporate filings, making them more efficient.

The session emphasized that achieving corporate status can enhance access to finance and domestic and international markets while improving business credibility, transparency, and continuity. ABAD’s leadership expressed appreciation for SECP’s outreach efforts and indicated that its members are seriously considering corporatization and REIT registration. Additionally, they agreed to collaborate with SECP and provide recommendations on the real estate sector under the Companies Act, 2017.