Empty slots, tall claims

Banks flood print media with advertisements, drawing the attention of their ATM customers and claiming to serve them round-the-clock even during Eid holidays. Do they?

My son went for shopping just a week before Eidul Azha and ran short of cash. He visited not one or two, but eight ATMs of different banks in Bahadurabad and Shaheed-i-Millat Road area. There was no cash available. People prefer drawing cash from ATMs rather than visiting bank branches for fear of safety concerns. If the ATMs run short of cash one week before Eid, how are the same banks expected to serve their customers during the holidays?

The State Bank of Pakistan should ensure that all banks refill their ATMs with cash during holidays, or stop making tall claims in misplaced advertisements.

M RAFIQUE ZAKARIA

KARACHI