CHITRAL: The main branch of the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) in Chitral city is housed in a small room to the discomfort of the customers and the staffers.

The bank’s management has failed to construct or hire a spacious building since its own was razed for construction of a by-pass road some six years ago.

The NBP’s main branch also acts as its chest branch, where hard cash is maintained after receiving it from the State Bank of Pakistan which has no branch in the entire district. Besides, it also acts as the ‘clearing agent’ of all the branches of other banks.

The staffers termed the narrow room, where the NBP branch is housed, as risky from security viewpoint as it is located amid shops and a general bus stand.

Thousands of customers, including government employees and the pensioners, visit the branch, particularly during the first 10 days of every month, to draw salaries and pensions, but they are greatly hassled for want of space.

For want of space inside the branch, the customers receiving or depositing cash have to stand in front of a narrow window.

Women government employees face tremendous hardships in getting their transactions done as they are required to maintain account only in the NBP branch.

Strangely enough, the bank has no ATM facility unlike the all other banks in the city, which also adds to the customers’ rush, intending to draw money.

A bank employee requesting anonymity said due to shortage of space, the bank branch could not even accommodate its staff.

The customers also complained that NBP’s all other six branches across the district had no ATM facility.

Meanwhile, president of Chitral Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Sartaj Ahmed Khan, told Dawn that he had called on the NBP president to apprise him of the sorry state of affairs of the bank branch in Chitral.

He said the bank’s president had assured him to solve the problems faced by the customers.

Published in Dawn, December 30th, 2019