'Qarz Utaro Mulk Sanwaro' scheme: SBP tells banks to facilitate depositors

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has directed commercial banks to facilitate the claimants/depositors, who approach their respective banks along with the original receipt/certificate for encashment of their deposits under NDRP-II (Qarz-e-Hasna) as part of the National Debt Retirement Programme (Qarz Utaro Mulk Sanwaro), initiated during the second tenure of the Sharif Administration.
The banks after making the payments will claim reimbursement from SBP against the deposit of paid documents and instruments etc, so states a SBP circular dated 12 April 2017. Finance Division brief stated that the programme offered three instruments - NDRP-1 consisting of donations, NDRP-II consisting of Qarz-e-Hasna and NDRP-III term deposits inclusive of special savings certificate and defence savings certificates. NDRP II and III were for two years and donations/contribution under NDRP-I-II exempt from income tax, wealth tax and compulsory deduction of Zakat. In addition no questions were to be raised as to the source of the amount donate/deposited in NDRP.
The total amount collected in NDRP in local currency was Rs 2.805 billion in the following categories: NDRP-1 Rs 2.03 billion, NDRP II Rs 470.65 million and NDRP-III Rs 302.540 million. The SBP circular stated that the total amount collected in foreign currency was $178 million - $28 million donations and remaining $150 million Qarz-e-Hasna and term deposits. Almost all these deposits have been repaid, as per the State Bank of Pakistan. According to Finance Division documents the debt retired was Rs 1.7 billion (regarded as the most expensive debt with a mark up of 17.2 percent) from NDRP-1 while the rest of the amount (Rs 1.105 billion) under all three categories was not utilised by the government for debt retirement. Instead it was transferred to the federal consolidated fund, non-food account, on 27.03.1999. This amount was used to facilitate State Bank offices as well as commercial banks to refund Qarz-e-Hasna and terms deposits on maturity of two years.
On 31 January 2000, the Musharraf government revealed that subsequent to refund of Qarz-e-Hasna and term deposits on their respective maturities, the balance in the federal government account No-I stood at Rs 997.5 million. This included Rs 333 million donations Rs 338 million Qarz-e-Hasna and Rs 305 million term deposits.