ABS & Co is pleased to announce the promotion of Khadeeja Ahmad to the position of Senior Associate. Khadeeja Ahmad has been associated with the firm since the commencement of her professional career and has consistently demonstrated strong legal acumen, professionalism, and commitment to excellence. She has worked extensively on arbitration, projects, and energy related matters, contributing to complex assignments and key client engagements. Her work has also been recognised by Legal 500, where she has been recommended as a Leading Associate.

ABS & Co is pleased to announce its continued recognition in the Chambers Asia-Pacific Guide 2026, where the firm has been highly ranked across multiple key practice areas in Pakistan. These rankings reflect the firm’s strong market reputation, depth of expertise, and consistent delivery of high-quality legal services across both contentious and non-contentious matters.

ABS & Co advised Nintendo on the protection and enforcement of its intellectual property rights in Pakistan, with a particular focus on the digital distribution and circulation of counterfeit and unauthorised game content.

In this alert, we examine recurring challenges in pre-bid preparation and clarification processes in public procurements in Pakistan. Public procurements in Pakistan are increasingly structured around comprehensive RFP and tender packages that integrate technical specifications, qualification criteria, prescribed forms, and draft contracts into a single, interdependent framework. This approach is now common across public private partnerships, infrastructure concessions, energy projects, transport and aviation procurements, urban development schemes, strategic joint ventures, and privatisation-related transactions.

ABS & Co has advised a foreign enterprise on its incorporation and comprehensive legal structuring in Pakistan. The mandate encompassed end to end corporate and regulatory structuring, including incorporation before the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, security clearances from the Ministry of Interior, permissions from the Board of Investment, and the complete State Bank of Pakistan share registration process for foreign equity investment.

ABS & Co has advised Future Developments Holdings Pvt Ltd on a PKR 1 billion land transaction within the Capital Smart City’s Special Technology Zone, a zone licensed by the Special Technology Zones Authority. The firm facilitated the structuring and execution of a strategic tripartite arrangement between Future Developments Holdings Pvt Ltd, FDH Tech Park, and the investor, enabling the acquisition of land designated for a state-of-the-art data centre within the Capital Smart City.

In this article, we examined Pakistan’s evolving regulatory framework governing foreign participation in the deep-sea fishing sector, with a particular focus on the legal pathways available to international investors seeking to deploy capital and technology in this underdeveloped yet high-potential industry. We analysed the joint venture requirements, licensing regime, and compliance obligations that shape market entry, and assessed how recent policy initiatives, including the role of the Special Investment Facilitation Council, aim to facilitate structured and sustainable foreign investment in Pakistan’s deep-sea fisheries.

ABS & Co has examined the recent decision of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), presided over by Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro, which dismissed five constitutional petitions challenging the disengagement of employees appointed under the Death Compensation Package by the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC). The judgment affirms the legality of PAEC’s contractual employment framework and clarifies the scope of constitutional jurisdiction in contractual service disputes.

ABS & Co recently represented NBP in a writ petition before the Islamabad High Court (IHC), where the firm successfully defended the Bank’s position. The Court once again held that NBP employees are not government or civil servants and therefore cannot be described as “Government Officers” on their passports.

ABS & Co was engaged by the Punjab Cattle Market Management & Development Company (PCMMDC) as project legal advisors to lead the company’s transition towards modern, transparent, and institutionalized governance of cattle markets across Punjab. In this capacity, we drafted and developed key policy and governance instruments for the company, including the Barrah Allotment Policy and the Terms of Reference (TORs) of the Dispute Resolution Committee of the Board of Directors.

ABS & Co has reviewed the regulatory framework governing the establishment of seafood processing and export facilities in Pakistan, a sector that presents significant potential for high value investment. As global demand for processed seafood increases, investors are exploring opportunities to convert Pakistan’s abundant fish catch into internationally compliant, high value products. A clear understanding of the applicable legal requirements is essential before determining where and how to establish a processing facility.

ABS & Co successfully represented Nunchi Marine Pte Ltd before the High Court of Sindh, Karachi, in proceedings seeking recognition and enforcement of a foreign arbitral award rendered by the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC).

In this article, we examined Pakistan’s introduction of the Virtual Assets Ordinance 2025, enacted on 8th July 2025, which establishes the country’s first comprehensive regulatory framework for virtual assets and Virtual Asset Service Providers. This landmark development marks a significant shift toward structured oversight of cryptocurrency and digital assets in Pakistan, providing long-awaited regulatory clarity for foreign crypto exchanges, fintech platforms, blockchain companies and other service providers seeking to enter and operate within a regulated virtual assets market.

Our November 2025 legal update reviews recent legislative and judicial developments across Pakistan, including the Civil Servants Amendment Act 2025 and the Lahore High Court’s decision in SNGPL v. Waseem Majid Malik. The update also outlines the constitutional framework governing writ jurisdiction and its distinction from remedies available under the Companies Act 2017.

ABS & Co has advised the Program Management Implementation Unit (PMIU) and the Punjab Housing and Town Planning Agency (PHATA) on the implementation of the World Bank funded Punjab Affordable Housing Program (PAHP).

ABS & Co has successfully defended a Public Sector Entity against a potential liability of approximately PKR 2 billion in a land acquisition compensation matter, before the Court of Senior Civil Judge, Rawalpindi. In this case, landowners claimed compensation at a rate of PKR 800,000 per kanal, along with 15% compulsory acquisition charges and 8% compound interest from the date of the award until payment.