Our Expertise

Legislative Drafting

Our firm has been variously engaged by financial institutions, regulatory authorities, national bodies and the Government of Pakistan at both federal and provincial levels, in drafting legislation and providing advisory services toward policy reform.

The legislative drafting practice at Ashtar Ali and Co. goes to the very core of our diverse corporate and commercial practice areas. Our Legislative Drafting Practice consolidates the firm’s expertise in the areas of legislation development and drafting, public and administrative law, procurement, structuring and governance of private and public-sector entities including federal and local Governments. We also work closely with the firm’s other practices to offer a thorough and collaborative spectrum of legal expertise.

A forerunner in providing comments on the Companies Act, 2017, our role as advisors to the Government of Pakistan and provincial governments, including to NAB and SECP have included drafting several rules and regulations geared towards meeting governments’ and companies’ development objectives. We also pride ourselves in advising various local and international banks on drafting comprehensive secured transaction law in respect of security interests over movables and to create an archive for logging security interests over movables created by entities other than limited liability companies (in particular small and medium-sized enterprises and rural initiatives).

Expertise

We are regularly consulted by government entities in respect of the drafting of new laws or subsidiary legislation.  This involves:

  • Carrying out a gap analyses to determine what is missing or could be improved in the existing legislation.
  • Consulting with all stakeholders to ensure that the full spectrum of concerns are understood and dealt with.
  • Advice on local legislation and policy issues;
  • Legal studies on legislation;
  • Drafting of new laws, regulations, rules, policies and resolutions;
  • Amendments to existing laws, regulations, rules, policies and resolutions;
  • Redrafting of bills to conform to the legislative structure in pertinent jurisdiction.