• Visit date: September 25 2019 Gilgit, Rohtas Fort
• The visited post office: Uliga Majuro Post Office
• Cost of sending mail: 50 PKR (0,35 EUR)
• Postcard availability: A nice selection of postcards in souvenir shops in major cities,
• The postcards started arriving at their recipients after two weeks of travel.

A Brief History of Pakistan Post

Pakistan Post, also known as پاکستان ڈاک in Urdu, is Pakistan’s primary and largest postal operator, a state-owned enterprise with a long and rich history. Beyond its traditional role of delivering letters and parcels, Pakistan Post offers a variety of services. These include Postal Life Insurance, Pakistan Post Savings Bank, and even acting as a collection point for tax and utility bills on behalf of the federal and provincial governments.

The story of postage stamps in this region dates back to 1852 when the East India Company controlled the area. The first stamps used in Pakistan were actually a series of British India stamps overprinted with the word “Pakistan”. The very first postal stamp specifically for Pakistan was issued on July 19, 1948, to commemorate the country’s first Independence Day. Picture postcards were introduced on August 10, 1967, with four different designs.

Our visit to the Pakistan Post Offices

The postal service in Pakistan worked in our experience remarkably well. It was easy to find post offices, and there was a reasonable selection of stamps available. Our tour group traveled through Pakistan by road, making our way from Lahore to Islamabad to Gilgit, and we visited more than one post office along the way.

One particularly amusing incident occurred on our journey north through the mountains. We stopped at a post office near a scenic overlook, deciding to send some postcards during this brief stop. This post office was located far from any major settlements. However, we discovered that the date stamp was so old that it couldn’t be adjusted to accurately stamp the year 2019 as there weren’t enough numbers for the date. So, the postal worker wrote the year in by hand.

The most memorable post office experience we had in Pakistan was at Rohtas Fort. This fort, a UNESCO World Heritage site, was strategically built in the 16th century in Punjab province, in northern Pakistan. It stands as an exceptional example of early Muslim military architecture in Central and South Asia. The main fortifications of this 70-hectare garrison comprise massive ramparts over four kilometers in circumference, adorned with beautiful bastions and gates.

While we knew there was a post office near this UNESCO site, we were pleasantly surprised to find it open and fully operational. The postal workers were slightly taken aback by our small Estonian group from Albion Reisid, but they warmly and kindly welcomed us all, offering us tea and Coca-Cola. We even took a group picture. Needless to say, everyone in the group decided they needed to send a postcard home after receiving such a warm welcome!

Leaving behind our stamped postcards and a sweet taste of Estonia, we set off again.

Farewell.

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