PENSIONERS in Punjab are being forced to travel from place to place, enduring hardship, simply to submit their life certificates by themselves and for bio-metric verification. Many are unable to walk properly, but they must visit banks at the insistence of bank staff for biometric verification and to submit life and non-marriage certificates despite the fact that, due to old age, their fingerprints are not always read by the machine.

According to the notification issued on Jan 28, 2021, by the Finance Division in Islamabad, if a person is unable to undergo biometric verification due to incapaci-tation by illness, infirmity, or if their fingerprints do not exist due to old age or a genetic condition, they shall be provided under rule 343 a life certificate signed by an authorised person. The notification also says that a pensioner of rank may be privately identified by the disbursing officer, and need not be required to appear at the disbursing office.

Currently, most banks, including the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), are refusing to accept certificates unless pensioners personally visit the branch, regardless of their ability to walk. This places a severe burden on elderly pen-sioners, and raises serious concerns about the performance of these institutions.

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) should issue directions regarding the use of such certificates attested by a gazetted officer to replace the requirement of fingerprint verification. If it is essential to confirm that a pensioner is, indeed, alive, bank officials should identify the pensioners privately and verify their status, for example, by taking a photograph.

While using online banking applications, fingerprint systems should be replaced with facial recognition or some other convenient method, which would greatly assist the elderly. Financial institutions’ responsi-bilities should not be limited to handling finances; they are expected to take steps that facilitate the public, particularly old-age pensioners. Making these adjust-ments will ensure that banks serve their intended purpose, providing convenience and support to the people of Punjab.

Muhammad Iqbal Awan
Mianwali

Published in Dawn, May 15th, 2026