Deactivation of PAN through AO

This discussion addresses the complex issue of deactivating a duplicate PAN card when a new one was mistakenly applied for instead of a correction. Despite surrendering the duplicate PAN and submitting necessary documentation, the Assessing Officer (AO) has not yet deactivated it, leaving the application on hold for two years. NSDL insists the AO must perform the deactivation, and advice is sought on how to expedite this process, including follow-ups with the AO and potentially the jurisdictional CIT office, while ensuring no demands or arrears are pending against the PAN.