ISLAMABAD: Zarai Taraqiati Bank Ltd (ZTBL) on Wednesday refuted media reports that misrepresented its position on missing and burnt loan files, following proceedings of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
In a statement issued here, ZTBL said 27,537 loan files were destroyed in 2007 during protests after the tragic assassination of ex-prime minister Benazir Bhutto.
The bank has since reconstructed records, reducing the number of burnt files to 5,201 by recovering outstanding loan amounts.
The outstanding and recoverable amount linked to these 5,201 burnt and an additional 790 missing files – out of over 600,000 borrowers – is approximately Rs1.167 billion, averaging less than Rs195,000 per borrower.
The bank emphasised that all these loans are small-scale agricultural loans, and the bank is in the process of recovering or adjusting the residual amounts.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025