Pakistan appoints Ali Farid Khwaja as SECP commissioner

Pakistan’s federal government has appointed Ali Farid Khwaja as a commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) for three years.

The appointment was made under Sections 5 and 7 of the SECP Act, according to a Finance Ministry notification issued on Tuesday.

The SECP is Pakistan’s apex regulator for the corporate sector, insurance, non-banking finance companies and capital markets, and plays a key role in oversight, investor protection and market development.

Khwaja’s professional background includes experience in capital markets, financial research and financial technology. He has worked in areas such as equity research, payments infrastructure and investment management across international financial markets.

Prior to the appointment, Khwaja served as the CEO of Oxford Frontier Capital, according to his website. He has worked with leading local and global companies, including Stacks Foundation, Asian Development Bank, Adam Smith International, Care International, Bank Alfalah, and Naga Markets.

Khwaja holds a degree in economics and computer science from Lahore University of Management Sciences. He later completed a Master of Science in Financial Economics from the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar.

Earlier this month, the government has appointed Dr Kabir Ahmed Sidhu as the new chairman of the SECP.