ISLAMABAD: The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has approved a Corporate Intelligence Unit (CIU) to identify registered companies suspected of running Ponzi or pyramid schemes, taking deposits or lending without a licence, or operating beyond their approved objectives.

The unit will monitor publicly available information, including news reports, social media and digital advertising, to identify potential violations before complaints are received. Verified leads will be referred to the relevant SECP departments for inquiry or enforcement action. Where appropriate, information may also be shared with agencies such as the FIA, NCCIA, State Bank of Pakistan and NAB.

The CIU is expected to strengthen the SECP’s early-warning capacity, support timely regulatory intervention and help prevent further investor losses. By tracking recurring patterns and linking information from multiple public sources, it will also help the commission direct scrutiny towards emerging risks.

SECP Chairman Dr Kabir said that the CIU will strengthen the commission’s risk-based surveillance by converting open-source information into verified regulatory leads.

The CIU is being established under Section 20 of the SECP Act 1997, as part of the Chairman’s Secretariat.

Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2026