The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) registered 5,241 new companies in September 2026, taking the total number of registered companies in the country to 317,002. The latest figures reflect continued business incorporation across multiple industries, including Information Technology, trading, services, construction and e-commerce. According to the commission, approximately 99.9% of the new registrations were completed online through its eZfile portal and integrated federal and provincial systems. The high proportion of digital applications highlights the role of online registration facilities in enabling entrepreneurs to establish businesses and complete incorporation procedures without relying on traditional paper-based processes. The registrations also provide an overview of the types of businesses being established, their geographical distribution and the participation of domestic and foreign investors in Pakistan’s corporate sector.
Private limited companies represented the largest category of new registrations during September, accounting for 3,013 companies, or 57.5% of the monthly total. Single-member companies ranked second, with 2,058 registrations representing 39.2%. Limited liability partnerships contributed another 127 registrations, equivalent to 2.4% of the total, while 29 Section 42 not-for-profit companies accounted for approximately 0.6%. The remaining registrations comprised 10 public companies, two trade organisations and two foreign companies. These figures show that private limited and single-member structures accounted for the overwhelming majority of new incorporations during the month. The distribution also reflects the range of legal structures available to businesses, from individually owned enterprises and privately held companies to partnerships, public companies and organisations established for not-for-profit purposes.
Punjab recorded the highest number of new company registrations, with 2,740 incorporations representing 52.3% of the national total. Islamabad Capital Territory followed with 1,009 registrations, accounting for 19.2%, while Sindh recorded 790 new companies, equivalent to 15.1%. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa contributed 428 registrations, or 8.2%, followed by Gilgit-Baltistan with 169 companies, representing 3.2%. Balochistan recorded 105 registrations, accounting for 2% of the total. The geographical breakdown demonstrates that Punjab accounted for more than half of the companies registered during September, while Islamabad and Sindh together represented a substantial additional share. The figures cover the distribution of new incorporations across the country’s provinces and regions, although they do not independently establish the reasons behind the differences in registration volumes.
Information Technology emerged as the leading sector for new company registrations, with 920 incorporations during September. Trading followed with 808 companies, while the services sector recorded 599 registrations. Construction accounted for 339 new companies, and food and beverages contributed 239. Tourism businesses recorded 222 registrations, followed by real estate development with 193, education with 189, e-commerce with 179, and mining and quarrying with 127. Companies in other sectors accounted for a further 1,426 registrations. The figures indicate that new incorporations were spread across technology, commercial activity, consumer industries, property-related businesses and other areas of the economy. Information Technology’s leading position also highlights the sector’s significant contribution to the month’s company formation figures, alongside traditional trading and service-oriented activities.
Foreign investors also participated in company incorporation during September, with 167 investors from different countries involved in the process. China accounted for the largest number, with 113 investors, followed by the United States with seven and the United Kingdom with six. Hong Kong contributed five investors, while Singapore and Saudi Arabia recorded three each. Australia, the United Arab Emirates, Türkiye, Germany, Canada, Spain, Thailand and Afghanistan each accounted for two investors. Investors from other countries numbered 14. The foreign investor group included 10 foreign corporate entities, while the remaining participants were individuals. These figures provide a snapshot of foreign participation in new company registrations during the month and show that Chinese investors represented the largest national group among the foreign investors identified by the SECP. The data does not, however, specify the total capital committed by these investors or the value of their planned business activities.
The SECP’s gender-disaggregated figures showed differences in women’s representation across corporate ownership and leadership positions. Women accounted for 14% of shareholders and directors, 11% of ultimate beneficial owners and 8% of chief executives. Men accounted for the remaining shares in each category. The figures offer an indication of women’s participation in company ownership, beneficial ownership and executive leadership among the data reported by the commission. While women represented a portion of participants across all three categories, their reported share was lower in chief executive positions than among shareholders and directors. The figures also provide a basis for tracking gender representation in the formal corporate sector as more businesses register through the commission’s incorporation system.
SECP Chairman Dr. Kabir Ahmed Sidhu said company incorporation was an important step towards developing a formal and documented economy. He stated that the commission was working to simplify the registration process and improve access for entrepreneurs seeking to establish businesses. Easier incorporation procedures can help aspiring business owners complete the legal requirements for setting up companies and enter the formal corporate framework. The SECP’s continued use of its eZfile portal and integrated government systems forms part of the digital infrastructure supporting company registration. With 5,241 new companies incorporated in September and the national total reaching 317,002, the latest figures provide an update on business formation across Pakistan, including the growth of technology-related registrations, regional participation, foreign investor involvement and representation across corporate leadership categories.
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