After more than two-and-a-half years of PPP led coalition set-up, President Asif Ali Zardari has advised the government to privatize the state owned enterprises by selling majority of government shares to small investors through the stock market. According to President, this would help to deepen the capital market and protect the interest of stakeholders, workers and strategic investors. Forgetting that our stock exchange has been used more as a casino for speculative activity by the powerful elite having no interest in long-term investments with the help of brokers they have made billions at the cost of smaller investors and shareholders. Meanwhile, the regulator which is Security Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) played the role of a silent spectators. In order to safeguard the interest of the small investors it is imperative that the SECP play an effective role and keep a check on the big brokers having the power to sway the market at their will. There should be complete transparency and no conflict of interest in governing bodies managing the stock exchanges should be allowed. At present, only one percent of the total registered companies are listed on the stock exchange and it is no wonder that the market capitalization is less then 25% of the GDP. Whereas in the developed countries, market capitalization usually exceed their GDP. It is the need of the hour that the government should immediately privatize all those state enterprises which are burdens on the national exchequer. The government should declare the reference price of 51% of equity shares for the private investors and also 49% of the equity for the general public at attractive share price. The government instead of taxing the poor people should consider the option of privatizing those enterprises, which are burden on the economy. Engr. S.T. Hussain