Sultan Mazhar Sher KhanAdvocate Supreme Court of Pakistan

Experience from every side of the system

Prosecutor for the State, General Counsel to the Regulator, Law Officer for a Province, and legal counsel to business and companies.

Highlights

Career record

Twenty-five years, in order

  1. 2024 – present

    Legal practice

    Islamabad, Peshawar, Rawalpindi

  2. 2023 – 2024

    Additional Advocate General (KP), Supreme Court of Pakistan

    • Represented the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa before the Supreme Court of Pakistan in matters relating to constitutional, civil, criminal, service and commercial law.
  3. 2012 – 2023

    Legal practice

    Islamabad, Peshawar, Rawalpindi

    • Senior Partner, Litigation, CKRZIA (Advocates & Legal Consultants) until 2019, then Of Counsel.
    • Appointed amicus curiae by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in petitions challenging the dispute resolution mechanism under the Tax Laws.
    • Appointed amicus curiae by the Islamabad High Court in petitions challenging the imposition of fuel price adjustment by NEPRA.
    • Appointed special assistant to the rule making committee of the Islamabad High Court.
    • Appointed member, Technical Evaluation Committee of the Access to Justice Development Fund under the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan.
    • Represented financial institutions, regulatory bodies, government organizations, local and foreign companies, businesses and individuals in constitutional petitions, corporate and commercial matters, tax, accountability and service litigation, appeals and other actions.
    • Reported judgments on issues arising from company law, arbitration, regulatory actions, public procurement, insurance and construction laws.
    • Legal Consultant to the World Bank on reform of insurance sector laws in Pakistan, and on the regulatory framework for trade in services and investment in Pakistan.
    • Legal Consultant to the FBR on reform of tax legislation under the Tax Acceleration Growth and Reform (TAGR) project of the World Bank.
    • Corporatization of State Life Insurance Corporation (SLIC).
    • Legal Consultant to SECP on secondary legislation for capital markets, and on the corporate rehabilitation regime: CRC Act 2016 and CRA 2018.
    • Legal Consultant on corporate and commercial matters to Pakistan’s largest entities in the oil and gas, energy and fertilizer sectors.
    • Member and legal expert, Shariah Advisory Board (SAB) of SECP until December 2014.
    • Advised statutory entities and donor institutions on legal reform and economic legislation.
    • Advised as buyer counsel on corporate transactions of over 125 million US Dollars.
    • Advised clients on regulatory, development, corporate, commercial, service, energy, banking, competition and insurance laws.
    • Non-Executive, Independent Director of public sector electricity distribution and supply companies (PESCO and TESCO) until July 2021.
  4. 2004 – 2012

    Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan

    General Counsel / Head of Department, June 2011 – May 2012

    • Supervised the litigation portfolio across Pakistan. Represented SECP before the High Courts and advised on administered legislation.
    • Drafted legislative instruments, including review of bills developed by the Federal Government.
    • Represented SECP at Ministries, Cabinet, Parliamentary sub-committees, international donor agencies and international forums including diplomatic forums (UNIDROIT).
    • Supervised the legislative review committee on the Companies Ordinance, 1984 (enacted as the Companies Act, 2017).

    Legal Department, October 2004 – June 2011

    • Legal advice on regulatory actions under the purview of SECP.
    • Negotiated the Second Generation of Capital Markets Reform Program loan of USD 400 million with ADB and advised the Ministry of Finance on its implementation.
    • Member, legal reform committees (Corporate Rehabilitation Law Committee; Consolidation and Unified Regulation Committee) formed by the Government of Pakistan and SECP.
    • Drafted the Corporate Rehabilitation bill, NBFC Rules and Regulations, Takaful Rules, Takeover Regulations, and the Companies (Investment in Associated Companies and Undertakings) Regulations.
    • Developed the legal framework for terrorism insurance and micro-insurance in Pakistan.
    • Advised on the Pak-Canada, Pak-US, Pak-Poland and several other Bilateral Investment Treaties.
    • Represented SECP in the winding up proceeding of Islamic Investment Bank Limited before the Peshawar High Court.
    • Drafted the SECP bill, the Demutualization Act 2012, the Futures Trading Bill (enacted as the Futures Market Act 2016), the Securities Act 2015, and the REIT and Private Equity Regulations 2008.
    • Implemented operational recommendations of the 2005 Task Force Report on the stock market crisis, and served on the committee assisting the National Assembly’s Sub-Committee on Finance and Revenue in its review of that crisis.
    • Advised the Ministry of Finance on the Political Risk Guarantee Facility Agreements under ADB’s Financial (Non-Banking) Markets and Governance Program.
    • Drafted the regulatory framework for the National Commodity Exchange Limited (NCEL).
  5. 2004

    Amhurst Brown (Barristers – Advocates)

    • Litigation before the District Court at Islamabad.
    • Drafted and vetted commercial agreements including procurement and share purchase agreements.
    • Advised local and foreign clients on special purpose vehicles, contract law, trademarks, procedural law, company law and corporate regulations.
  6. 2003 – 2004

    Legal practice

    Peshawar

    • Represented clients before the Peshawar High Court in matters arising from constitutional and sales tax law.
    • Worked as a defence attorney in accountability matters.
    • Represented clients before the Banking Courts at Peshawar and Abbottabad.
    • Drafted agreements relating to information technology, construction and other matters.
    • Advised clients on corporate, sales tax and accountability laws.
  7. 2002 – 2003

    National Accountability Bureau

    Additional Deputy Prosecutor General / Legal Consultant, KP

    • Handled prosecution at the Accountability Courts, particularly arising from the Ghazi Brotha land acquisition scam, the Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway (M-1) scam and asset references.
    • Conducted prosecutions before the Accountability Courts at Peshawar and Attock.