SECP moves to set up Pakistan’s first financial services dispute resolution centre

The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has held a stakeholder consultation in Islamabad on establishing Pakistan’s first Financial Services Dispute Resolution Centre.

SECP organised the consultation in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Commercial Law Development Program and Singapore’s Financial Industry Disputes Resolution Centre.

The session was chaired by SECP Commissioner Muzzafar Ahmed Mirza.

Federal Secretary for Law and Justice Raja Naeem Akbar, Justice (R) Mushir Alam, Justice Jawad Hassan, representatives of CLDP and FIDReC, and senior officials from key institutions across Pakistan’s financial sector attended the consultation.

SECP Commissioners Imtiaz Haider, Zeeshan Rehman Khattak and Ali Farid Khwaja were also present.

SECP Chairman Dr. Kabir Ahmed Sidhu said effective mediation could improve dispute resolution, reduce costs and strengthen investor confidence.

The proposed dispute resolution centre will function as an independent and specialised institution for resolving disputes across the financial services sector.

According to SECP, the centre is intended to provide faster, more affordable and accessible dispute resolution while supporting consumer protection, investor confidence and access to justice.