KARACHI, Aug 2: Automated teller machines run by the National Bank of Pakistan have been out of order since Monday evening, a number of account holders complained on Tuesday.

Irate ATM cardholders of the National Bank told Dawn on Tuesday that they could not draw money from ATMs of other banks connected with the National Bank under an inter-connectivity agreement.

The worst hit were those who want to draw their salary, or at least a part of it, at the start of the month.

The National Bank operates over 100 ATMs across the country.

The official in charge of the National Bank ATM network, Imran Farooqi, told Dawn that a communication error was responsible for the malfunction of the bank’s ATMs.

He added that his team of experts were doing their utmost to sort out the problem at the earliest.

ATM customers of the National Bank said that they were greatly inconvenienced because they could not draw their salary. They observed that the National Bank should ensure that ATMs remain operational at all times, especially during salary days.

“ATMs run by the National Bank are unreliable even in the best of times. I prefer to go to ATMs run by private banks. The National Bank ATM installed at the headquarters also remains down most of the time,” said one angry caller, adding that other ATMS of the bank were no better.

But Mr Farooqi claimed that ATMs run by private banks also broke down every now and then. He further claimed that in spite of the communication error some ATMs of the National Bank were operational.

The National Bank official said that at times communication problems between Link I and MNET - two main switches connected to ATMs of banks — were responsible for the inconvenience that customers have to face.