Investor Protection as the Objective of Securities Regulation: A Comparative Study of Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan and IOSCO Principles

Abstract

Investors play a vital role in the market’s development which certify the protection of investor’s rights as one of the significant objective of Securities regulation. The fairness of the market also demands Investor protection. In Pakistan, The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), established in 1997, works as a regulatory body whose job is to regulate securities including investor’s rights protection. However, SECP is unable to fulfill the objectives till now, therefore, it is need of the hour to develop an adequate and satisfactory mechanism in light of the principles laid down by International Organization for Securities Commission (IOSCO) to ensure investor protection. This paper based on analysis and comparison between SECP and IOSCO’s investor protection mechanism, using analytical and descriptive methodology, covers the deficiencies in current Pakistan’s law like being silent about misconduct of intermediaries, and absence of penalties to the accused in case of breach of law.