Your late father’s bank account is frozen and the heirs live abroad. Here is how it gets released.
Banks in Pakistan will not release a deceased account holder’s money without a succession certificate. For most families abroad, NADRA can now issue it without anyone flying home.
Inheritance · By Khalil Ahmad Bhullah, Founding Partner · 15 October 2026 · Pakistani law only
When a parent dies in Pakistan, the bank freezes the account the moment it learns of the death. Savings certificates, National Savings accounts, shares and pension arrears are frozen the same way. To release them, the bank needs a succession certificate naming the legal heirs and their shares.
For years that meant a petition in the civil court, newspaper publication and months of hearings — a problem for families spread between the UK, the Gulf and North America. That has changed.
Two routes: NADRA or the court
NADRA Succession Facilitation Units issue succession certificates (for movable assets such as bank balances and shares) and letters of administration (for immovable property) where the heirs agree. The scheme began in Islamabad and has been extended to Punjab under provincial law. Overseas heirs can complete their part through biometric verification at Pakistani missions abroad.
The civil court remains the route when any heir objects, the family tree is disputed, the deceased had more than one marriage that is not reflected in NADRA records, or the asset is outside a jurisdiction covered by the NADRA scheme.
How the NADRA route works
- Application. One heir applies, usually the one in Pakistan, with the deceased’s death certificate and CNIC, the Family Registration Certificate (FRC), and the CNIC or NICOP of every heir.
- Asset details. The bank, branch and account numbers, savings certificates, shares or other movable assets are listed.
- Public notice. NADRA publishes a notice in the newspapers and on its website. Anyone with an objection has 14 days to raise it.
- Biometric consent of every heir. Heirs in Pakistan verify at a NADRA centre; heirs abroad verify at a Pakistani embassy or consulate.
- Issue. If no objection is received, the certificate is issued and presented to the bank, which then pays out according to the shares stated.
Where families get stuck
Most delays come from records, not law. An heir whose name is spelled differently on a NICOP and the FRC; a sister married abroad whose details were never updated with NADRA; a second wife not registered; a minor heir who needs a guardian appointed before any money can be paid out. Each of these needs to be fixed before applying, or the application stalls at the verification stage.
A minor’s share is a frequent surprise. The bank will not hand it to a parent automatically; a guardianship order from the Guardian Court is usually required.
When you should go straight to court
If one heir refuses to give biometric consent, if someone claims a share the FRC does not show, or if there is a will that others dispute, the NADRA route is closed. A petition under the Succession Act is filed instead, and the court decides. Starting at NADRA and being refused only adds time.
What we do
We check the family records against the bank’s requirements first, correct what needs correcting, prepare the application and the heirs’ consents, coordinate verification appointments abroad, and deal with the bank until the funds are released. If a dispute makes court necessary, we file and represent the heirs in Lahore.
Related reading: heirs abroad: transferring a parent’s property · which power of attorney to sign · guardianship in Pakistan
Questions we get on this.
Yes, where all heirs agree. NADRA’s succession facilitation scheme lets heirs abroad give biometric consent at Pakistani missions, while one heir or a representative handles the application in Pakistan.
A succession certificate covers movable assets such as bank balances, savings certificates and shares. A letter of administration covers immovable property such as land and houses.
After the newspaper notice there is a 14-day objection period. If records are in order and every heir completes biometric verification promptly, the certificate can be issued within weeks rather than the months a court petition usually takes.
Any objection, or a dispute about who the heirs are, takes the matter out of the NADRA scheme. A petition under the Succession Act must then be filed in the civil court.