SECP marks nearly 40,000 non-filing companies inactive

The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan has placed 39,704 companies in inactive status after they failed to submit annual returns and/or financial statements for four years. Mettis Global reported that the designation will be recorded in the commission’s system and accessible to banks and other stakeholders.

Until they submit overdue documents and regain active standing, the affected firms cannot open new bank accounts, use financial services or update their directors. The SECP said the step aims to strengthen the corporate register and reduce the risk of dormant entities being misused, while reminding companies that filings are required under the Companies Act, 2017.

The inactive firms include 13,927 in Lahore, 13,859 in Islamabad and 4,868 in Karachi. At the end of September 2026, the register contained 317,002 companies, following 43,559 new registrations in the previous financial year, up 24% year on year; 99.9% of new registrations were completed online.