SECP starts unified digital investor onboarding framework

According to Business Recorder, the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan has launched a single digital onboarding framework for new investors. The rules set fixed timelines for account opening: one working day for Sehl and Sahulat accounts and two for Normal Accounts. Tracking IDs will be issued to applicants, deficiencies must be flagged within the set period, and rejections will come with written reasons.

The regulator says the initiative is part of a wider effort to attract more retail investors, especially young Pakistanis, and to lift the investor base to 2.5 million. SECP Chairman Dr Kabir Ahmed Sidhu said the aim is to remove entry barriers and use technology so that the investor journey is simpler and more accessible.

Issued as Circular No19 of 2026, the framework applies the same onboarding rules to brokers, asset managers, insurers and other regulated intermediaries. A central feature is that intermediaries can rely on verification already completed by an eligible regulated institution or notified third party, rather than asking investors to repeat it. Instant UIN issuance and CDC sub-account opening are also possible through API-based straight-through processing.