All banks of Pakistan ensure genuineness of citizen by obtaining CNIC and relevant documents on opening a new account and not only store this record but also transfer it to SBP for future reference, if any. Account statements are more sensitive than cheques, as the details carry transactions of money and its method of trail. Therefore, all banks are supposed to maintain the secrecy, confidentiality and privacy of any account, not to be disclosed to strangers, except Government institutions, if desired.
A/C statements are delivered concerned banks to account holders on their address registered with bank according to term of delivery stated on A/C opening form. As such, it becomes the responsibility of bank to ensure delivery of closed envelops of A/C statements to A/C holder or his/her authorised person on address registered with the bank. Even, banks are not supposed to disclose the balance and other details of account to unauthorised persons, except A/C holder only.
Delivery of A/C statement, whether direct or via courier on bank's behalf, is the sole responsibility of none-else but bank only. What will happen, if any envelope containing 6 monthly A/C statements, ISO address registered with bank, is "Misrouted and Delivered or Dropped At Wrong Address" to unauthorised person without obtaining the 'Signature of Receiving', a proof of delivery? Under such mis-routings, the possibilities of serious repercussions, criminal activities and dangerous harms to actual account holder, cannot be ruled-out.
Situation can turn more grave, when system feedback on A/C statement's non-receipt or Wrong Deliveries, are ignored by concerned bank and bank's spokesperson defends 'Wrong Delivery/Mis-routing' by writing, "It is a non-CNIC-based consignment", therefore, it can be delivered to any person at any address. Feedback of a/c holder is neither taken true, nor any corrective action taken to ensure delivery at right address after obtaining its receiving by the receiver. Although, a/c statement is a sensitive document and not a consignment. Even, if it is named as consignment by bank, it must be delivered to consignee at his address, registered with bank, not elsewhere.
This course of events happened with an overseas Pakistani, who worked abroad and used to remit foreign exchange officially. Unfortunately, the handling officer of feedback of a regular bank mishandled the feedback, raised inconsistent objections/queries, cooked-up the issue for 6 years, entered into unwarranted correspondence, made "Mountain Out of Mole Hill" and finally advised to escalate the matter to Banking Mohtasib ISO solving this tiny matter within bank.
Will the Ministry of Finance or SBP comment on Policy of delivering A/C statements by banks, as a torch bearer for banks and A/C holders.
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