SECP Company Registration Form (Pakistan)

A SECP Company Registration Form in Pakistan is the formal application package submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) to incorporate a new company under the Companies Act 2017. The SECP Company Registration Form (Pakistan) includes the Memorandum of Association, Articles of Association, declarations by the proposed directors, and the prescribed application form — together constituting the complete incorporation application processed by the SECP's Companies Registry under Sections 10 to 15 of the Companies Act 2017.

The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), established under the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan Act 1997, is the sole authority for incorporating companies in Pakistan. The Companies Act 2017 — which replaced the Companies Ordinance 1984 — is the primary statute governing incorporation, the structure of companies, their management, and their dissolution. The SECP maintains separate regional offices in Karachi (Southern Region), Lahore (Eastern Region), Islamabad (Northern Region), Peshawar (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Region), and Quetta (Balochistan Region), each of which processes applications for companies with registered offices in its jurisdiction.

Section 14 of the Companies Act 2017 provides that upon receiving the incorporation application together with the prescribed fee, and being satisfied that the requirements of the Companies Act 2017 have been complied with, the SECP shall register the company and issue a Certificate of Incorporation. The Certificate of Incorporation is conclusive evidence that all requirements of the Companies Act 2017 in respect of registration have been complied with, and that the company is duly registered under the Companies Act 2017.

The most common form of company registered with the SECP is a private limited company (Pvt. Ltd.) under Section 2(47) of the Companies Act 2017 — defined as a company that restricts the right to transfer its shares, limits the number of members to fifty (excluding employees and former employees who are members), and prohibits any invitation to the public to subscribe for its shares or debentures. A single-member company (SMC-Pvt. Ltd.) under Section 2(62) of the Companies Act 2017 is a special category of private company with a single member, designed for sole proprietors who wish to benefit from limited liability.

The Memorandum of Association under Section 26 of the Companies Act 2017 is the charter of the company — it states the company's name, the province where the registered office is situated, the objects of the company (though the Companies Act 2017 has liberalised the objects clause requirement), whether member liability is limited by shares or by guarantee, and the authorised share capital. The Articles of Association under Section 29 of the Companies Act 2017 are the internal regulations of the company governing the management of its affairs, the rights of members, and the powers of the board of directors.

The SECP's eCompanies portal (ecompanies.secp.gov.pk) now processes most company registrations online — applicants check name availability, submit the Memorandum and Articles, file director declarations, pay the registration fee online, and receive the Certificate of Incorporation digitally. The entire process for a standard private limited company typically takes 1 to 3 working days through the online portal, compared to 10 to 15 days for paper applications at SECP Regional Offices. The SECP has also introduced a single-window company registration facility in collaboration with the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) — a company registered through the SECP eCompanies portal simultaneously obtains a National Tax Number (NTN) from the FBR.

A SECP Company Registration Form in Pakistan is required when founders, entrepreneurs, or investors wish to establish a legally recognised company with limited liability — providing corporate status, a separate legal identity distinct from the owners, and the ability to own assets, enter contracts, and employ staff in the company's own name.

The registration is needed when a business operation that has been conducted as a sole proprietorship or partnership needs to be converted to a limited liability company to attract investors, access bank financing, qualify for government tenders, or expand beyond the personal liability constraints of unincorporated business forms.

SECP company registration is required when foreign investors wish to establish a wholly-owned subsidiary or joint venture in Pakistan. The Board of Investment (BOI) of Pakistan, which supports foreign direct investment under the Foreign Private Investment (Promotion and Protection) Act 1976, requires the investing entity to incorporate through the SECP before applying for BOI facilitation services, tax holidays, or Special Economic Zone incentives under the Special Economic Zones Act 2012.

The Company Registration Form is needed when an existing business wishes to bid for government contracts awarded by federal or provincial procurement authorities under the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) Rules 2004. Government procurement rules generally require bidders to be registered companies with valid SECP certificates of incorporation, National Tax Numbers, and Sales Tax Registration under the Sales Tax Act 1990.

SECP registration is required when a non-governmental organisation (NGO), charitable body, or non-profit institution wishes to incorporate as a company limited by guarantee under Section 42 of the Companies Act 2017 — a structure that provides legal personality and limited liability without share capital, suitable for charitable, educational, professional, and civic bodies.

The registration form is also needed when a startup or technology company in Pakistan wishes to raise equity investment from venture capital firms or angel investors registered with SECP — investors require a properly incorporated entity with SECP registration before committing equity capital, executing shareholder agreements, or issuing shares. Pakistan's startup ecosystem in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad has grown significantly, and SECP registration through the eCompanies portal is typically the first formal step for funded startups.

A complete SECP Company Registration application package in Pakistan under Sections 10–15 of the Companies Act 2017 must contain the following essential elements to be processed by the SECP Companies Registry.

Company Name Availability: Before filing the registration application, the proposed company name must be checked for availability through the SECP eCompanies portal name search function. Under Section 11 of the Companies Act 2017, no two companies may be registered with the same or deceptively similar names. Names containing certain restricted words — such as 'Bank,' 'Insurance,' 'Pakistan,' 'National,' 'Federal,' or professional designations — require prior approval from the relevant regulator (State Bank of Pakistan for 'Bank,' SECP Insurance Division for 'Insurance') before the SECP will accept the application.

Memorandum of Association: Drafted under Section 26 of the Companies Act 2017, the Memorandum must state: (1) the company name with 'Private Limited' or 'Pvt. Ltd.' as a suffix for private companies; (2) the province of Pakistan where the registered office is to be situated; (3) the objects of the company — though the Companies Act 2017 permits a broad objects clause; (4) a statement that the liability of members is limited; and (5) the authorised share capital divided into shares of a fixed amount. The Memorandum must be signed by each subscriber (founding member) in the presence of a witness who attests the signature.

Articles of Association: Drafted under Section 29 of the Companies Act 2017, the Articles govern the internal management of the company. Where a company does not adopt its own Articles, the model Articles prescribed in the First Schedule to the Companies Act 2017 apply by default. Custom Articles must address: share transfer restrictions (for private companies), the process for calling and conducting general meetings, the powers and proceedings of the board of directors, the appointment and removal of directors and the chief executive, dividend declaration procedures, and accounting and audit requirements.

Declaration by First Directors: Each person named as a first director in the Memorandum or Articles must file a declaration on Form 28 under the Companies (General Provisions and Forms) Regulations 2018, confirming they are not disqualified under Section 154 of the Companies Act 2017. The declaration must be signed and witnessed.

Registered Office Address: A Form 21 notifying the SECP of the registered office address must be submitted simultaneously with the incorporation application, or within 28 days of incorporation under Section 21 of the Companies Act 2017. The address must be a physical street address in Pakistan.

Subscriber Details: The full names, CNIC numbers (or passport numbers for foreign subscribers), addresses, and the number of shares subscribed by each founding member. For a private limited company, a minimum of two subscribers is required (or one for a single-member company).

Authorised Share Capital and Registration Fee: The authorised share capital must be stated in the Memorandum. The SECP registration fee is calculated on a sliding scale based on the authorised share capital under the Companies (General Provisions and Forms) Regulations 2018. The minimum authorised share capital for a private limited company is PKR 100,000 under SECP practice, though the Companies Act 2017 does not prescribe a minimum.

FBR National Tax Number Integration: Applications filed through the SECP eCompanies portal are simultaneously processed for NTN registration with the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) under the SECP-FBR single-window facility. The company's NTN is generated automatically upon SECP registration, enabling the company to immediately begin fulfilling its tax obligations under the Income Tax Ordinance 2001.

Forms-legal.com provides this SECP Company Registration Form template as a preparation tool for entrepreneurs and investors in Pakistan. The template reflects the requirements of Sections 10–15 and Section 26–29 of the Companies Act 2017 and the Companies (General Provisions and Forms) Regulations 2018. Filing through the SECP eCompanies portal is strongly recommended for speed and efficiency, and legal advice from a qualified Advocate or company secretary who is a member of the Institute of Corporate Secretaries of Pakistan (ICSP) is recommended for complex structures including foreign investment and joint ventures.