A family may know exactly how much money their father kept in the bank. His wife has the account number. One child knows the ATM PIN. Another has access to the banking application. After his death, they may still be unable to withdraw the balance lawfully.
A deceased customer’s account raises questions about ownership, authority and inheritance. Those questions cannot be settled by possession of a bank card. The following guide explains the principal rules in Pakistan, with important distinctions for joint accounts, nominations, pensions and overseas heirs.
What happens to a sole bank account after death?
Once a bank receives reliable notice that a sole account holder has died, it will ordinarily restrict further operations pending the applicable deceased-customer process. The money does not become the bank’s property. The balance is part of the estate, subject to applicable inheritance law and lawful claims.
Banks may request a death certificate, identification of heirs, account information and a succession certificate or other legally sufficient authority. Requirements depend on the account and circumstances. Ask the branch for its current deceased-account checklist in writing.
Can relatives use the deceased person’s ATM card?
Knowing a PIN does not establish ownership or authority. In a hypothetical case, a son withdraws Rs. 200,000 using his late father’s card to pay urgent expenses. Other heirs could still dispute the withdrawal, even if the expenses were genuine. Use of banking credentials after death may raise separate authorization questions.
Notify the bank, keep receipts for legitimate estate expenses and obtain appropriate guidance instead of assuming that an ATM card remains usable simply because the machine accepts it.
Who inherits the balance?
Inheritance depends on the deceased person’s applicable personal law and family circumstances. Muslim estates are generally governed by the applicable Muslim personal-law rules; non-Muslim estates may follow different personal-law provisions. Debts, valid bequests and other claims can affect the final distribution.
A NADRA Family Registration Certificate records family relationships but does not conclusively determine every legal entitlement. Being the eldest son, the spouse or the person who manages the account does not alone confer ownership of the whole balance. Disputed heirship may require a court decision.
Does a nominee get all the money?
Not automatically. A nomination may authorize someone to receive funds without necessarily making that person the sole beneficial owner. A Sindh High Court decision involving a National Savings Pensioners’ Benefit Account recognized that the nominee did not defeat other legal heirs’ inheritance rights. The outcome for a different product may depend on its governing statute and contractual terms.
Do not assume a National Savings nomination, a bank arrangement, a life insurance beneficiary and an employment benefit operate identically. Ask the institution which law governs the nomination and whether the recipient takes the proceeds for themselves or subject to heirs’ claims.
How do legal heirs obtain a NADRA succession certificate?
A succession certificate is an established route for claiming movable assets such as bank deposits; letters of administration generally concern immovable property. NADRA describes requirements including the death certificate, CNIC cancellation certificate, Family Registration Certificate, heirs’ identification, asset information and authorization. Its current published procedure for Sindh and Balochistan requires applications through legal counsel. Check NADRA’s official instructions before applying.
NADRA lists Rs. 22,000 for a fresh Sindh application where assets are worth Rs. 100,000 or more, compared with a standard Rs. 20,000 elsewhere; it lists Rs. 10,000 below Rs. 100,000. Fees and procedures can change. Its stated 14-day period after publication should not be mistaken for a guaranteed total turnaround from the first visit. Objections, incomplete records and disputes may require further action.
How to claim a deceased person’s bank balance: five practical steps
- Notify the bank: Provide the death certificate and ask for its deceased-account claim checklist in writing.
- Identify the assets: Supply the account number or IBAN if available, and ask what account information can be shared with a legally authorised representative.
- Prepare the heirs’ records: Gather the death certificate, CNIC cancellation certificate, Family Registration Certificate, heirs’ identity documents and asset details as required.
- Obtain legal authority: Apply for a succession certificate through the applicable NADRA procedure or competent court. NADRA says applicants in Sindh and Balochistan use legal counsel.
- Submit and track the claim: Provide the certificate or other accepted authority, complete the bank’s forms and request a written explanation of any outstanding verification.
Before incurring legal fees, ask whether the balance is still held in an ordinary account or has already been surrendered to SBP as an unclaimed deposit; the claim routes may differ. The official NADRA succession guidance explains the administrative application process.
What happens to a joint account?
Read the signed account-opening mandate. Some joint accounts require joint signatures; others permit an ‘either or survivor’ mode of operation. Such instructions can determine how the bank deals with the survivor, but they do not necessarily prove beneficial ownership of every rupee.
Neither blanket claim is safe: that all joint accounts must be frozen exactly like sole accounts, or that the survivor automatically inherits the entire balance. Where heirs dispute ownership, the mandate and evidence about the funds matter. Obtain the bank’s written position and legal advice if necessary.
What happens to a pension when the pensioner dies?
Separate three issues: money already credited to the deceased person’s account, pension arrears due but unpaid, and a new family-pension entitlement for an eligible survivor. They are not interchangeable. The paying authority determines whether a spouse or another family member qualifies under the relevant scheme.
For federal government pensions, September 2024 amendments and January 2025 clarifications introduced a general maximum ten-year period for certain remaining eligible family members after the spouse dies or becomes ineligible, with specified exceptions. This is not a universal ten-year cap on a surviving widow’s pension. Provincial, military, EOBI and private employer arrangements can differ.
The bank and relevant pension authority should be informed promptly. A post-death pension credit should not automatically be treated as money that heirs can withdraw. Our EOBI pension guide explains a distinct private-sector retirement framework.
What if the account has been inactive for years?
A dormant account is not necessarily a deposit already surrendered to the State Bank. The threshold for surrendering an unclaimed deposit should be checked against the current law and SBP instructions: SBP’s Banking Services Corporation information page describes 15 years, while its 2006 master circular and an available text of section 31 describe 10 years. Because these official sources are inconsistent, ask the bank to confirm the presently applicable threshold and the status of the particular deposit rather than relying on either figure alone. For a surrendered deposit, heirs normally approach the original commercial bank to initiate the refund claim. SBP publishes the refund procedure.
SBP has allowed a narrow succession-certificate concession for certain deceased-holder unclaimed-deposit refunds of Rs. 100,000 or less, subject to heir verification, indemnities and guarantees. That is not a blanket exemption for every ordinary deceased bank account below that amount.
Can children living abroad claim an inheritance?
An overseas child may inherit under the applicable personal law. Proving entitlement and remitting the money abroad are separate steps. The State Bank amended foreign exchange instructions in May 2026 for remittances of inherited assets to non-resident legal heirs, recognizing relevant NADRA succession documentation while retaining banking compliance requirements.
Before arranging a transfer, consult the bank’s foreign exchange department and the SBP May 2026 circular.
What if the bank delays releasing funds?
A bank may have legitimate documentary requirements. Request a written explanation of the missing documents or legal basis for refusal. Start with the bank’s complaint management unit. Subject to applicable conditions and jurisdiction, unresolved complaints can be escalated to the Banking Mohtasib. A banking complaint forum does not replace a court for every contested inheritance claim.
See the State Bank consumer protection guidance for current complaint procedures.
What should families organize in advance?
Keep a secure inventory of banks, account types, pension authorities and the location of important papers. Do not circulate PINs or passwords. Keep copies of joint-account mandates and understand the legal meaning of any nomination. These practical preparations matter when older parents depend on their children or when families face financial pressure in retirement.
Frequently asked questions
Can a wife withdraw from her deceased husband’s sole account? Marriage alone does not provide continuing authority to operate it. She may be an heir, but the bank must follow the applicable release procedure.
Does a nominee inherit the whole balance? Not necessarily. The governing law and type of financial product matter.
Does a joint-account survivor own everything? Not necessarily. Operating authority and beneficial ownership are different questions.
Can a widow receive a family pension? She may qualify under the relevant scheme, subject to approval; it is not simply continued access to the deceased person’s account.
The distinction that matters
An ATM card permits a transaction. A nomination may designate a recipient. A joint mandate specifies how an account is operated. None, on its own, settles every inheritance question. The most reliable first step is to identify the institution holding the funds, notify it and obtain its legally required process in writing.
Editorial disclosure: This is general information on Pakistani banking, succession and pension procedures, reviewed in October 2026. It is not individualized legal, tax or financial advice. Rules depend on personal law, jurisdiction, account type and pension scheme. Seek a qualified Pakistani lawyer for disputed or complex estates.