The federal government has appointed Dr Kabeer Ahmad Sidhu as the new chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), placing a seasoned regulator at the helm of the country’s top corporate watchdog.
Dr Sidhu, who has been leading the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP), brings more than two decades of experience in legal, financial, and regulatory affairs across Pakistan and the United Kingdom.
He holds a doctorate from the University of Manchester, where his research focused on stock market regulation and investor protection. Over the years, he has worked with insurance firms, law practices, and financial institutions, building a diverse professional profile spanning both public and private sectors.
Before joining the CCP, Dr Sidhu served as a senior legal adviser at the Ministry of Law and the Privatization Commission, where he played a key role in policy and regulatory matters related to market governance and state asset reforms.
During his tenure at the Competition Commission, the organization recorded a sharp improvement in case disposal. The legal backlog was reduced substantially, with hundreds of pending cases decided by courts and tribunals. The commission also recovered significant sums in penalties and imposed fresh fines on cartels and companies found guilty of deceptive marketing practices.
One of Dr Sidhu’s most prominent decisions, relating to the merger of PTCL and Telenor, received international attention for its regulatory handling, adding to his reputation as a firm and technically sound regulator.
His appointment comes at a time when the SECP is expected to play an increasingly important role in strengthening corporate governance, protecting investors, and overseeing Pakistan’s capital markets amid ongoing economic reforms.
