The corporate sector in Pakistan continues to attract consistent foreign investment.

The country’s top market regulator reported on Saturday that while foreign investment in Pakistan’s corporate sector remained steady in the first quarter of 2026, new company registrations increased significantly, indicating sustained business expansion despite economic difficulties.

220 companies with foreign shareholders were registered between January and March, according to the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP). The total paid-up capital reached Rs 657 million ($2.36 million), which is marginally more than the Rs 642 million ($2.31 million) recorded during the same period last year.

According to a statement, “foreign investment remained concentrated in key sectors including trading, services, IT, construction, and mining, indicating investor interest in both traditional and emerging areas of the economy.”

“The general trend points to steady foreign inflows supporting Pakistan’s corporate expansion and growing market integration.”

According to SECP, business activity increased throughout the quarter, with 10,318 new firms registered overall—a 12.5 percent rise over the previous year.

The majority of incorporations were private companies, with single-member organisations coming in second. This indicates that the small and medium enterprise sector is still growing.

High-activity industries continued to be the key drivers of growth, with IT and e-commerce topping registrations, followed by trading and services.

Nearly 96,000 company filings were processed during the quarter, up 27% from the same period last year, according to SECP, which also reported an increase in post-incorporation filings, indicating a mature business climate.

In addition, the Secured Transactions Registry documented more than 5,000 searches and more than 6,000 financing statements, demonstrating continuous efforts to promote financial inclusion and increase credit availability.