Peshawar Consumer Court Orders Easypaisa to Refund Rs 40,000

A consumer court in Peshawar has ordered Easypaisa to refund Rs 40,000 that left a customer's account without his approval, and to pay him Rs 25,000 in damages. It also fined the company Rs 25,000, payable to the government.

The ruling was reported on 7 October 2026. It is one court's decision in one case, but it is the kind of result wallet users rarely see, so it is worth knowing exactly what was ordered and what was not.

The court ordered a refund, damages and a fine

Judge Nasrullah Khan Gandapur, sitting as the consumer court in Peshawar, ordered Easypaisa to return Rs 40,000 to the complainant, Fahadul Rehman. The court added Rs 25,000 in damages for him and a Rs 25,000 fine for the government.

That is Rs 90,000 in total against a Rs 40,000 loss. The extra Rs 50,000 is the part that tells providers a missing refund can cost them more than the refund itself.

Three transfers on one day started the case

According to the report, three transfers left the wallet on 12 February 2026, worth Rs 10,000, Rs 22,000 and Rs 8,000. The customer said he made none of them, did not approve them and received no email alert about them.

He found out two days later, on 14 February, when he went to a service provider expecting to withdraw about Rs 50,000. The balance was far lower. The three amounts add up to exactly Rs 40,000, which is the sum the court ordered back.

Notice the gap. Two days passed before he looked. That is normal for people who keep savings in a wallet and check it only when they need cash. It is also why every hour counts once you do see a strange entry.

Easypaisa did not appear, so the case ran one-sided

The report says no company representative appeared even after notice. The court therefore went ahead without the company's side, which is called an ex parte proceeding. The company's version of events is not part of what we can read.

Two cautions follow from that. First, a one-sided ruling can be challenged, and we have not seen whether Easypaisa has done so. Second, the court's reasoning was reported in one sentence only: providers of financial and electronic payment services must take due care, keep reasonable security and deliver services that meet expected standards.

We make no finding about the company. We are reporting what a court is said to have decided.

What this ruling does not settle

It does not change the law for the whole country. A district consumer court's order binds the parties in that case. Other judges can follow its logic, but they do not have to.

It also does not remove the first step. The State Bank of Pakistan's complaint rules, reported in our earlier work, expect you to go to the provider first and wait for its reply before going further. Our guide to the 30 day fraud reply deadline banks work to sets out those clocks.

One more limit: we do not know when this complaint was filed. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's consumer law is strict on time, as we explain in the guide to a consumer court complaint in KP within 10 days. Do not assume a later filing will be accepted.

What to do if money leaves your wallet without your say

Act in this order: call the wallet helpline, get a complaint number, send the complaint in writing, then use the free regulator route if the reply is late or a refusal. Consumer court is the next step, not the first.

1. Call your wallet's helpline at once and ask them to block the account.
2. Write down the transaction IDs, amounts, times and the receiver names shown.
3. Take screenshots of the history and any SMS you did or did not receive.
4. Send a written complaint and keep the complaint number.
5. If the reply is late or a refusal, go to the State Bank or the Banking Mohtasib.
6. Take legal advice on consumer court, and check the time limit in your province.

The Banking Mohtasib route is free and lists unauthorised debits as a ground, which we explain in the guide to complaining to the Banking Mohtasib. If you sent money to a wrong number yourself, that is a different problem, covered in the guide to getting back money sent to the wrong JazzCash or Easypaisa number.

Common questions about the Easypaisa refund ruling

Does this ruling apply to JazzCash and other wallets?

Not automatically. It is an order against Easypaisa in one case. The reasoning on due care and security could be argued against any provider, but a court would have to accept it each time.

Can I claim damages as well as a refund?

This court gave Rs 25,000 in damages on top of the refund. Whether another court does the same depends on the facts and the judge.

Do I have to go to the wallet company before consumer court?

You should. A complaint to the provider creates the paper record you will need, and State Bank complaint rules expect it. Skipping it weakens your case.

What if I shared my OTP or PIN?

That is treated differently. Sharing a code can be seen as your own act. Tell the truth in your complaint and report the deception to the cybercrime authorities too.

Has Easypaisa appealed or commented?

We have not seen any statement or appeal. The report says no company representative appeared in court.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked 8 October 2026. The order, the judge's name, the amounts, the three transfers on 12 February 2026, the discovery on 14 February and the company's non-appearance were reported in the press on 7 October 2026. We could not find the judgment itself on a court website, so every fact about the case is reported and not read from the order. The State Bank of Pakistan publishes its consumer complaint instructions and the Banking Mohtasib publishes its jurisdiction on the State Bank website at sbp.org.pk. Check those pages, and your own provider's help page, before you rely on any time limit.