Pakistan, July 21 -- The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) is facing mounting criticism from the business sector over its rigid enforcement approach. This approach, which treats minor procedural lapses and serious regulatory breaches with equal severity, has led to instances where small businesses have been penalized as severely as large corporations for similar infractions.

Prominent industry figures warn that the regulator's failure to distinguish between habitual violators and firms with unintentional or technical non-compliance is undermining investor confidence and discouraging business activity. They argue that such blanket enforcement does not strengthen the economy but rather enables a culture of fear and unce...