I have been maintaining three joint accounts with Habib Bank Limited at its Defence Lahore Branch No. 1858 for over a decade. As the primary account holder of all three accounts, my wife serves as the secondary or joint account holder. On 8 May 2026, all three joint bank accounts—denominated in US dollars, pound sterling, and Pakistani rupees—were deactivated without any prior notice due to the expiry of my wife’s National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP) on 7 May 2026.
Health Issues Prevent Renewal
My wife and I are both senior citizens facing age-related health challenges, which have made it impossible for us to visit the Pakistani Consulate in Dubai to apply for the renewal of her NICOP. My Pakistani rupee account is a regular transactional account that I rely on for making online payments for utilities, taxes, salaries, and other essential expenses.
I have repeatedly requested the bank to reactivate my Pakistani rupee account so that I can continue making critical payments. However, the bank has not been helpful, despite the fact that my own NICOP—on record as the primary account holder’s identification—remains valid until 16 December 2034.
Valid Passport Rejected
I have informed the bank’s Operations Manager that my wife’s passport is valid until 15 August 2029 and serves as reliable proof of her identity. I proposed that the passport be accepted temporarily for approximately two months until we are able to renew her NICOP. However, the bank is unwilling to accept a valid passport as identification in place of a CNIC.
I would like to request the higher authorities at Habib Bank Limited to look into this matter. Deactivating our bank accounts amounts to an excessive application of rules and regulations. In my opinion, deactivating the bank accounts of overseas senior Pakistani citizens such as ourselves neither benefits the bank nor its customers, and it does not serve Pakistan’s interests either.
