Banking Mohtasib Complaint: 5 Official Filing Steps Now

When the Banking Mohtasib can help

Covered complaints

The office handles complaints against scheduled commercial banks involving violations of banking law, excessive delay, inefficiency, poor service, discriminatory conduct and related maladministration. Banks may also refer certain interbank disputes.

Matters outside jurisdiction

The online form says it does not handle complaints against microfinance banks, investment banks, insurers, mutual funds or overseas branches. It also cannot order a bank to grant a loan, change a published pricing policy or waive markup simply because a customer dislikes the policy.

Five official filing steps

Start with the bank

First, send a dated written complaint through the bank's official channel. Second, save the complaint number and evidence. Third, allow up to 30 days for resolution unless the bank has already rejected the complaint. Fourth, prepare the Mohtasib form and attachments. Fifth, submit online or by post and keep the new reference number.

What to attach

Provide a CNIC copy, your letter to the bank, the bank's reply if any, account statements or transaction records, and relevant messages or receipts. Send copies rather than original documents. A chronological one-page summary helps the reviewer understand what happened and what remedy you seek.

How to write an effective complaint

Use a clean timeline

List dates, amounts, channels and reference numbers. Separate verified facts from assumptions. State the outcome you want, such as reversal of an unauthorised debit, correction of a record or release of funds after an unreasonable delay.

Preserve digital evidence

Keep screenshots, SMS alerts, email headers, call logs and device information where relevant. Do not alter files or crop away dates. If fraud is ongoing, also ask the bank to block the instrument and secure the account immediately; the complaint process is not an emergency freeze button.

Online and postal routes

Online submission

The official website provides a pre-complaint eligibility check and an online lodgement form. Confirm that the domain is bankingmohtasib.gov.pk. Read each declaration carefully, particularly the statements about courts, bank policy and prior complaints.

Postal submission

The official procedure also allows a signed complaint to the Karachi Secretariat with copies of the supporting record. The site mentions attestation by an Oath Commissioner for the paper form. Check the latest form and address immediately before sending.

What happens after submission

Review and inquiry

The office checks procedural requirements and may seek information from both sides or inspect bank records. A complaint may be accepted, resolved, rejected as unjustified or closed for lack of jurisdiction. Use the tracking facility rather than filing duplicates.

Why the route matters

The Banking Mohtasib reported Rs762.76 million in relief to customers in the first half of 2026 and showed 21,392 complaints received by 30 June. Those figures do not guarantee an individual result, but they show why a properly documented complaint is worth pursuing.

Frequently asked questions

Is filing free?

Yes. The Banking Mohtasib describes its services as free of cost.

Must I complain to my bank first?

Normally yes, and the bank is allowed up to 30 days to respond.

Can I complain about a microfinance bank?

The official form says the Banking Mohtasib does not have jurisdiction over microfinance banks.

Should I send original documents?

No. The official procedure says to send copies, not originals.

Can the Mohtasib force a bank to approve a loan?

No. It cannot order a bank to grant a loan or rewrite a lawful pricing policy.