Ali Farid Khawaja joins SECP as Commissioner amid Leadership Shake-Up

2026-01-27 - 13:47

ISLAMABAD – The federal government has appointed Ali Farid Khawaja as a commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) for a three-year term, signaling continuity at the regulator amid ongoing leadership transitions. Finance Division confirmed the appointment in an official notification issued today, January 27, 2026, effective immediately under Sections 5 and 7 of the SECP Act, 1997. His remuneration and benefits will follow the provisions laid out by law. This appointment comes hot on the heels of Dr. Kabir Sidhu’s elevation as SECP Chairman, following the prime minister’s intensive interview process for senior regulatory positions. Khawaja brings over 15 years of high-profile experience in equity research and investment. Before joining KASB, he was a Partner at Autonomous Research in London (now part of Alliance Bernstein), spearheading equity research on European fintech companies. He also served as CFO and Board Director of Safe Charge Group, a global payments firm listed on the London Stock Exchange, and earned recognition as a top-ranked Technology Analyst in Europe at Berenberg and UBS. A Rhodes Scholar from the University of Oxford and an alumnus of the Georgetown Leadership Seminar, Khawaja is a Patron of the British Pakistan Foundation and a member of the UK Conservative Party’s Business and Entrepreneur Forum. With his induction, one SECP commissioner seat remains vacant, while another cannot be filled due to pending security clearances for shortlisted candidates. Earlier, the Ministry of Finance had shortlisted nine candidates for three commissioner roles, but security concerns delayed the remaining appointments.