Pakistan Government Names Muhammad Ali Farid Khwaja as New SECP Commissioner

Muhammad Ali Farid Khwaja has been appointed as the commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) by the government for a three-year term, according to a notification issued by the Finance Division today.

Khwaja’s appointment was granted under Sections 5 and 7 of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan Act, 1997 (XLII of 1997), and will take effect immediately. The remuneration and allowances for his position will be determined in accordance with the relevant provisions of the act, as stated in the notice.

Based on his LinkedIn profile, Khwaja is currently serving as the CEO of Critical Metals PLC and previously held the role of chairman of KTrade for seven years, which he vacated in October 2025. He has an educational background from Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, where he earned a Master’s degree in Financial Economics, and from Lahore University of Management Sciences, where he completed both an MSc in Economics and BSc degrees in Computer Science and Economics.

Khwaja’s selection comes after 27 candidates were interviewed for the appointment of three commissioners last December. Concurrently, earlier this month, the government appointed Dr Kabir Ahmed Sidhu as the new chairman of the SECP following a series of interviews.