i) New cheque books should be printed as per the new standard upon the exhaustion of existing stock or by the above deadline of 30th June, 2014, whichever comes earlier;
ii) Only the cheque book printed as per the new standard, should be issued to the customers after 30th June, 2014;
iii) Banks / Financial Institutions are advised to take all possible steps for creating awareness and educating their customers and staff about the new standards and instructions contained in this circular;
iv) Banks should encourage their customers to replace their old unused stock of cheque with new standardized cheque books;
v) In order to avoid MICR line of cheques from defacement, all Banks / Financial Institutions must ensure that clearing stamps are affixed on the reverse side of the cheque instead of affixing it on the face (obverse side), so that no material part of the cheque is defaced; and
vi) Notwithstanding any instructions issued by the SBP, banks are advised to ensure that the size of stamp is in accordance with the requirements of new standards.