Islamabad: The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has initiated the formation of a Corporate Intelligence Unit (CIU) to identify and address illegal financial activities by registered companies at an early stage. The CIU will focus on detecting operations such as Ponzi or pyramid schemes, unauthorized deposit-taking or lending, and activities beyond a company’s approved objectives.

According to the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, the CIU will scrutinize publicly available information, including news reports, social media, and digital advertisements, to identify potential violations before receiving formal complaints. Once leads are verified, they will be directed to the appropriate SECP departments for further investigation or enforcement action. Information may also be shared with other agencies, such as the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the National Coordination Committee on Import and Export (NCCIA), the State Bank of Pakistan, and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), when deemed necessary.

The CIU aims to enhance the SECP’s early-warning capabilities, enabling timely regulatory interventions and helping to prevent investor losses. By analyzing patterns and integrating information from multiple public sources, the unit will guide the SECP’s focus towards emerging risks. SECP Chairman Dr. Kabir emphasized that the unit will bolster the Commission’s risk-based surveillance by transforming open-source data into verified regulatory leads. This early detection of suspicious activities is expected to facilitate timely interventions, improve inter-agency coordination, and protect investors from escalating losses.

The unit is being established under Section 20 of the SECP Act, 1997, as part of the Chairman’s Secretariat. It will be led by a Director or Additional Director and supported by a team of two officers.