Pakistan Inc. is a common term used by the Pakistani media to refer to the corporate sector of the nation.
The Companies Ordinance 1984 allows a variety of formations in the mixed economy of Pakistan.. The Board of Investment estimates that there were 43,965 companies registered in Pakistan as detailed below:
| Companies Incorporated | 43,618 | Financial Services Companies | 244 | Insurance Companies | 56 | Banking Companies | 47 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private companies limited by share | 39,628 | Modaraba companies | 64 | Local general insurance companies | 48 | ||
| Public non-listed companies | 2,214 | Investment advisors | 57 | Local life insurance companies | 3 | ||
| Public listed companies | 687 | Modarabas | 47 | Foreign general insurance companies | 3 | ||
| Foreign companies | 643 | Close-end mutual funds | 37 | Foreign life insurance companies | 2 | ||
| Welfare organisations and associations | 357 | Leasing companies | 30 | ||||
| Trade companies limited by guarantee | 83 | Asset management companies | 4 | ||||
| Unlimited companies | 6 | Open-end mutual funds | 3 | ||||
| Credit rating companies | 2 |
The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan has registered 920 new companies in the first quarter of 2005. The Company Registration Office at Lahore registered the most number of companies at 324, CRO Karachi 285 companies, and CRO Islamabad 211 companies.
Of the 920 companies, 898 were limited by shares comprising 21 public unlisted companies, 840 private companies, and 37 single member companies. In addition, the Commission also registered 11 foreign companies, 9 associations not-for-profit and 2 companies limited by guarantee. Total authorized capital and paid up capital of the companies limited by shares amounted to Rs.50 billion and Rs.2 billion, respectively.
The services sector recorded 161 new incorporations, followed by 121 in trading, 64 in Information Technology, 59 in communication, 50 in fuel and energy, 49 in the real estate development, 38 in construction and 37 in textile sector. The SECP encourages and facilitates corporatisation of all businesses so that the corporate sector contributes towards the economic development of the country.[1]