Stop Bank Recovery Agent Harassment in Pakistan: SBP's 14 Day Notice Rule
SBP says a bank must send 14 days notice before a recovery visit and may never call your employer. See what staff may do and how to complain in Pakistan.
Short answer: A bank must send you a written notice at least 14 days before its recovery staff visit your home or shop. Staff may not contact your employer, may not harass your family, and must say who they are and why they are calling. The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) sets these rules, and you can complain if a bank breaks them.
Picture a phone that rings at 10 pm. A caller who will not give his name says you owe the bank money and that he will "visit your office tomorrow". Many borrowers in Pakistan have had a call like this. The SBP rules say a bank is not allowed to behave this way.
We opened SBP's consumer conduct framework (BPRD Circular No. 04 of 2025, dated 17 October 2025) and its covering circular on 12 October 2026. This guide covers section 3.2.3.2, on repayment and debt collection. We have not tested how any single bank behaves, so we cannot say which banks follow the rule.
A bank must give 14 days written notice before a recovery visit
SBP says a bank or development finance institution must serve a minimum of 14 days acknowledged notice, by letter and by SMS or email, before staff visit your home or business. The notice must ask you to pay the overdue amount. A visit without it breaks the rule.
The same 14 days apply before a bank takes back a leased vehicle after a default. Before it does, the bank must let you take your personal things out of the vehicle. If a staff member needs to collect a cheque from you, the bank must give you at least one day's notice first.
The recovery letter itself must carry the name of the official, a contact number and an office address. An unsigned letter from a number you cannot call back does not meet that test.
Recovery staff may not call your employer or pressure your family
The framework bans verbal or physical harassment of the borrower, family members, referees and friends. Staff may not humiliate you in public or in private. The text says the bank shall in no case contact the borrower's employer during recovery.
Calls have limits as well. Staff must not call you at an inconvenient time. On the phone they must give their name, the bank's name and the reason for the call. They must use lawful, professional language.
There is one narrow exception. If you have been out of contact for 30 days after the due date of your first missed payment, the bank may get information from your next of kin, a nominee or another third party. It may ask for information only, and the harassment ban still applies.
| What the bank does | What SBP's framework says |
|---|---|
| Visits your home or shop | 14 days acknowledged notice by letter and SMS or email first |
| Calls you on the phone | Must give name, bank and purpose, at a convenient time |
| Contacts your employer | Not allowed in any case |
| Contacts family or friends | Only to obtain information, after 30 days of no contact |
| Collects a cheque from you | At least 1 day advance notice |
| Reports an overdue to eCIB | Letter and SMS or email first, with at least 15 days to settle |
A bank must warn you before it reports an overdue to the credit bureau
Before a bank reports your overdue to eCIB, the State Bank's credit bureau, it must send you a letter and an SMS or email. The notice must explain what the report means and allow at least 15 days to settle or reconcile the overdue.
This matters because a bureau entry follows you to the next lender. Our guide on checking your credit report shows how to read the entry. The framework also says a bank may not use its right of set off, which means taking money from another account of yours, without telling you.
Debt itself does not disappear. These rules govern how a bank may collect. A lawful recovery effort that follows them is still allowed.
How to answer a harassing recovery call or visit
Stay calm, ask for the caller's name, designation and the bank's letter, and write down the time. Do not pay cash to a visitor without a receipt. Then complain in writing to the bank's complaint unit and keep the tracking number it must give you.
- Ask the caller for his name, designation, bank and the reason for the call. Note the number and the time.
- Ask for the written 14 day notice. If the bank never sent one, say so in your complaint.
- Pay only through the bank's own account, app or branch counter. Ask for a receipt for every payment.
- Write to the bank's complaint unit by email or at a branch. Include dates, numbers and names.
- Keep the SMS or email with your complaint tracking number. A bank must send one.
- If the bank does not fix it, take the complaint to the Banking Mohtasib or to SBP.
Where to take a complaint about recovery staff
Start with the bank's complaint unit. It must acknowledge you within 48 hours and, for a complaint about misbehaviour, normally reply within 7 working days. If it does not, the Banking Mohtasib and SBP's Sunwai portal are the next stops.
The framework puts harassment by staff in the minor category, with a 3 or 7 working day target. A complaint that needs more investigation gets an interim reply after 10 working days and must close within 15 days. Fraud complaints have 30 days. If the bank says no, the answer must be in writing, give reasons and name the next forum.
Our guide on complaining to the Banking Mohtasib explains that route, and the SBP Sunwai portal page covers the central bank's own channel. SBP's consumer page says to go to the Mohtasib if the bank has not replied within 45 days, or if you are not satisfied with its reply. A bank that refuses to follow a Mohtasib decision breaks section 82E of the Banking Companies Ordinance, according to the framework.
If the caller is not from a bank at all, treat it as fraud instead. Our guide on reporting loan app harassment covers apps that threaten and shame borrowers.
Common questions
Can a bank send recovery staff to my house in Pakistan?
Yes, but only after at least 14 days acknowledged written notice by letter and SMS or email. Staff must be polite, give their identity and may not harass family members.
Can a bank call my boss or my office about my loan?
No. SBP's framework says the bank shall in no case contact the borrower's employer during recovery efforts. If it does, keep the date and number and include it in your complaint.
Can recovery staff speak to my family?
Only to get information, and only if you have been out of contact for 30 days after your first missed payment. Even then they may not harass or humiliate relatives, referees or friends.
Can a bank take my car without notice?
For a leased vehicle, the bank must give at least 14 days notice before repossession. It must also let you take your valuables and goods out of the vehicle first.
Does a bank have to warn me before it reports me to eCIB?
Yes. It must send a letter and an SMS or email explaining the effect, and allow at least 15 days to settle the overdue before it reports you.
Do these rules cancel my debt?
No. They control how a bank collects, not whether you owe. Speak to the bank early about a payment plan, and keep every document.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
We read SBP's circular BPRD Circular No. 04 of 2025 and the attached Business Conduct and Fair Treatment of Consumers Regulatory Framework on 12 October 2026. We read sections 3.2.3.2 and 5.1.1.5. The framework says it took effect on the date of the circular for banks and from 1 January 2026 for e-money institutions such as wallet providers. We did not test any bank's practice, and the rules can be amended.
About the author
Technology Journalist & Multimedia Producer
Ahmad Ali is a technology journalist and multimedia producer at Pakistan Era, joining the team in October 2026. He covers consumer technology and digital life for Pakistani readers, combining research with hands-on product testing.
