Government Appoints Ali Farid Khawaja as New SECP Commissioner

The federal government has appointed Ali Farid Khawaja as a commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan for a three-year term, strengthening the regulator’s leadership amid ongoing transitions. The Finance Division issued an official notification on January 27, 2026, confirming Khawaja’s appointment under Sections 5 and 7 of the SECP Act, 1997, with remuneration and allowances determined according to legal provisions.

This appointment follows the naming of Dr. Kabir Sidhu as SECP Chairman after the prime minister’s interview process for senior regulatory positions. Ali Farid Khawaja brings over 15 years of experience in equity research and investments. Prior to joining SECP, he was a Partner at Autonomous Research in London, leading equity research on European fintech companies. He also served as CFO and Board Director of Safe Charge Group, a global payments company listed on the London Stock Exchange, and has been recognized as a top-ranked technology analyst at Berenberg and UBS in Europe.

Ali Farid Khawaja is an alumnus of the University of Oxford, where he was a Rhodes Scholar, and has attended the Georgetown Leadership Seminar. He is also a Patron of the British Pakistan Foundation and a member of the Business and Entrepreneur Forum of the UK Conservative Party.

With Khawaja’s induction, one commissioner position at SECP remains vacant, and another post has not been filled due to pending security clearances for shortlisted candidates. Earlier, the Ministry of Finance had shortlisted nine candidates for three commissioner positions, but appointments have so far been made to only one seat because of security clearance delays.

Despite periods without a full commission or chairman since December 12, the SECP’s existing commissioners continued to handle critical regulatory matters, including approvals for mergers, acquisitions, and policy decisions. There are also expectations that the new leadership may review allowances and benefits granted to former commissioners, an issue that has remained under scrutiny within regulatory and policy circles.