ISLAMABAD, Oct 14 (DNA):The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) on Wednesday approved the establishment of a Corporate Intelligence Unit (CIU) to proactively identify registered companies suspected of operating Ponzi or pyramid schemes, taking deposits or lending without the required licence, or conducting business beyond their approved objectives.

The unit will monitor publicly available information, including news reports, social media and digital advertisements, to identify potential violations before complaints are received, said a news release.
Verified leads will be referred to the relevant SECP departments for inquiry or enforcement action. Where appropriate, information may also be shared with agencies including the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
The CIU is expected to strengthen the SECP’s early-warning capacity, support timely regulatory intervention and help prevent further investor losses. By tracking recurring patterns and linking information from multiple public sources, it will also help the Commission direct scrutiny towards emerging risks.
SECP Chairman Dr Kabir said that the CIU will strengthen the commission’s risk-based surveillance by converting open-source information into verified regulatory leads. Early identification of suspicious activity can enable timely intervention, improve coordination across agencies and help protect investors before losses escalate.
The CIU is being established under Section 20 of the SECP Act, 1997, as part of the Chairman’s Secretariat. It will be headed by a Director or Additional Director and supported by a team of two officers.