KARACHI: Members of the Association of Builders and Developers of Pakistan are considering converting their businesses into corporate entities and registering real estate investment trusts following an awareness session conducted by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, the regulator said Wednesday.
SECP Commissioner Muzzafar Ahmed Mirza led the commission's delegation at the session, hosted at ABAD's head office. ABAD Chairman Mohammed Hassan Bakshi, Senior Vice Chairman Syed Afzal Hameed, Vice Chairman Tariq Aziz Memon and representatives of the builder and developer community attended.
Mirza briefed participants on SECP reforms aimed at simplifying business incorporation, improving regulatory clarity and encouraging informal businesses and partnerships to adopt formal corporate structures.
He said incorporation creates a separate legal entity and generally limits shareholders' liability, helping separate business obligations from members' personal assets.
SECP officials, including Karachi Company Registration Office In-charge Sidney Custodio Pereira, demonstrated the eZfile platform and explained how digital integration with external registries has made incorporation and corporate filings faster and simpler.
The session also highlighted how corporate status can improve access to finance and domestic and international markets while strengthening business credibility, transparency and continuity.
ABAD's leadership appreciated SECP's outreach and said its members were actively considering corporatisation and REIT registration.
It also agreed to coordinate with SECP and submit recommendations concerning the real estate sector under the Companies Act, 2017.
