Key Points
- Pakistan targets 2.5 million capital market investors
- Digital onboarding mobile app planned for July 2026 launch
- Fintech push aims to make stock market accessible via smartphones
- Central Depository Company operations, cybersecurity reviewed
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s corporate regulator has planned an ambitious plan to make stock trading in the country accessible to every citizen through the latest tools of communication technologies such as smartphones.
The chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, Dr Kabir Sidhu, has said Pakistan aims to expand access to the stock market through financial technology. The commission has set a target of expanding the number of capital market investors to 2.5 million.
Dr Sidhu made the remarks while chairing a meeting of the board of directors and management of the Central Depository Company of Pakistan, where he reviewed operational performance, cybersecurity systems and ongoing digital transformation projects.
He said financial technology would play a central role in bringing the stock market closer to ordinary citizens, particularly young investors, by enabling easier access through mobile-based platforms.
The regulator, he added, is working to remove traditional barriers to entry that have limited participation in the country’s capital markets.
A key initiative discussed during the meeting was the planned introduction of a digital onboarding mobile application, scheduled for launch in July 2026.
The app is expected to allow investors to open accounts and access capital markets through smartphones, reducing paperwork and shortening processing times.
Officials said the platform is designed to invest “simpler, safer and faster,” with integrated systems aimed at improving user verification, transaction efficiency and digital security.
The meeting also reviewed proposals for strategic restructuring of the Central Depository Company, including a plan to separate its core depository functions from other business activities such as trustee services.
The move is intended to improve operational clarity and strengthen institutional governance.
Cybersecurity safeguards and system resilience were also discussed as part of broader efforts to modernise Pakistan’s capital market infrastructure. Officials emphasised the need to align technological upgrades with global best practices as digital participation expands.
The regulator reaffirmed that the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan and the Central Depository Company will continue to work closely on market modernisation initiatives aimed at deepening investor participation and improving market efficiency.
