KARACHI, Jan 19 Senior citizens over 60 years of age have been exempted from the condition to get their identity cards renewed to operate their bank accounts.

The State Bank in response to a query by Dawn mailed excerpts from its earlier formal letter (dated December 2009) stating that “opening of accounts and relationships on the basis of expired CNICs is not allowed except in cases where Nadra allows exemption from renewal of expired CNICs. Nadra provides exemption to senior citizens.”

Earlier, certain bank branches were declining their customers whose identity cards have expired to operate their bank accounts. A senior citizen and account-holder of a bank told Dawn that she was not allowed to operate her account on the pretext that her CNIC had expired.

Some other senior citizens also reported that they were facing difficulties as several banks were not following instructions regarding the clause about concession to senior citizens.

However, after the matter was reported to the State Bank of Pakistan, some banks, including the concerned branch of the First Women Bank, let their old customers operate the accounts.