Technical glitch hits private bank
HBL had around 23 million customers out of the total of 62 million as on March 31, 2021. PHOTO: FILE
Pakistan’s largest bank in the private sector remained stuck on Tuesday as it faced a technical glitch that prevented its 23 million customers from performing financial transactions for several hours.
“There is a technical glitch that has slowed down the system to the extent where transactions are not being processed,” said a high official of Habib Bank Limited (HBL), who forcefully dismissed the talk of cyberattack.
“HBL’s entire banking system is down,” a couple of bank officials confirmed to The Express Tribune.
Customers were unable to do financial transactions through any means, including manually and online. They were neither able to undertake transactions through cheques, nor could they do so through ATMs and internet banking, customers said.
“The management has officially not given any timeframe for restoration of the system,” an official said.
Another official, however, gave assurance at around 4:30pm that “the technical issue will be addressed within half an hour.”
HBL had around 23 million customers out of the total of 62 million as on March 31, 2021.
Of the total branches of 16,200 of all banks working across the country, HBL has a network 1,700 branches.