Pakistan, June 30 -- The State Bank of Pakistan has directed banks across the country not to block customer accounts without legal authority, proper verification, and approval from the relevant competent authority. The new guidelines aim to protect account holders from unnecessary restrictions and ensure that banking actions remain fully compliant with the law.

The decision follows an order issued by the Islamabad High Court, which instructed the central bank to strengthen safeguards against unlawful account restrictions. Under the revised instructions, banks must ensure that any debit block, operational limitation, or account freeze is imposed only after completing the required legal process and obtaining proper authorisation.

The Stat...