SECP declares 39,704 companies inactive over four years of non-filing

The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan has placed 39,704 companies on inactive status after four straight years without required annual returns or financial statements, Profit by Pakistan Today reported. The designation limits their ability to open bank accounts, use financial services or record director changes until overdue filings are made and active status is restored.

Lahore had the largest count at 13,927, followed by Islamabad at 13,859 and Karachi at 4,868. The SECP said the measure is intended to improve corporate-record reliability and curb potential misuse of dormant entities, including in money-laundering and terrorist-financing activity.

The inactive companies are part of a register that held 317,002 firms at the end of September 2026. The regulator also reported 43,559 new registrations in the previous financial year, up 24 percent year on year, with 99.9 percent of new firms incorporated online.