Murree GPO December 29, 2015. (2015-09)

Murree General Post Office (GPO) is one of the most prominent historical landmarks of Pakistan's popular hilly summer town. It is deeply woven into the socio-cultural milieu of the town and is considered to be the most frequented spot for tourists and visitors of all ages. Sitting majestically at a vantage point, it overlooks the famed bustling mall road of Murree.

The Murree Post Office was established in 1867. However the Post Office was built at the current location in 1904 on the land measuring 0.55 acres that was purchased from the Rajah of Kashmir state. In the British Raj the Post Office was the pivot of communications between the Murree and the garrison town of Rawalpindi, as a horse coach would exchange the mail on daily basis well into the twentieth century. The horse coach drivers were a class of men apart, who through storm & rain, torrents & hill slides, hail & snow fearlessly carried His Majisty's mails often at the risk of their lives. The Gazetter of District Rawalpindi (1893-94) noted that the Murree Post Office was a combined Post and Telegraph Office and offered telegraphic, money order and savings bank services. It was later upgraded to Head Post Office, which expanded its accounting jurisdiction to Abbottabad and Muzaffarabad. It also served as mail transit office for sub Post Offices of Hazara & Azad Kashmir. Murree Post Office also established the first ever Philatelic and tourist information in 1975. In 1983 it was upgraded to class one General Post Office under the charge of a Gazetted Postmaster.

The iconic historic GPO building has undergone numerous structural changes since the British originally built it. In 1970 the facade of the GPO was drastically altered while undergoing reconstruction and renovation. The construction of high-rise buildings in its vicinity further deteriorated the environment due to the thoughtless visual intrusions.

Restoration of Murree GPO is the part of an initiative of Government of Pakistan to preserve Murree as a heritage hill station. Under this initiative, the Prime Minister of Pakistan approved a special grant for the reconstruction of Murree GPO to its original form. Urban management unit, planning and development department, Government of punjab provided the technical assistance for the project. The restored GPO will house a national Postal museum, a cafe shop and the Post Office.

Murree GPO December 29, 2015 a commemorative postage stamp of Rs. 10/- denomination is being issued by Pakistan Post on December 29, 2015.

First Anniversary of the Gruesome of the Aamy Public School, Peshawar, December 16, 2015. (2015-08)

Bookmark Shape:- The Bookmark shape symbolizes the new beginning or a watershed in the nation's history after APS incident of 16 December 2014.

Black Outer Border:- Usually postage stamp's outer colour is white. The black border with this postage is designed to remind of the tragedy as a sign of mourning.

Background Colour:- Green Colour. Green color is mostly associated with nature, youth, spring, hope and envy. It is often used to symbolize rebirth, renewal and immortality. APS children uniform and notebooks colour is also green. On the fateful day of 16 December 2014, children were wearing green jerseys. It also symbolises with Pakistan Flag. Many flags of the Islamic world are green, as the color is considered sacred in Islam. All other elements in the postage with Green colour look bright and prominent.

Victory Symbol:- This is the actual bruised and blood stained hand of a victim child who dared to make "V" sign in the face of death and trauma. Word "Pakistan" is placed right above "V" to signify that the country's existence hinges on the sacrifices of these children.

Words "Sacrifice, Resilience and Hope" and "Shall Rise and Shine" Sacrifices of these children jolted nation's collective conscious and triggered it into Resilience which eventually led to the Hope. Once read in continuation, Sacrifice, Resilience and Hope leads to Pakistan which Shall Rise and Shine (APS Moto).

Sunshine behind the Hand:- It embodies hope and early morning rays of a rising sun after the dark night.

Iqbal's Verse:- Symbolically, the verse is child's prayer for a life full of light to fight forces of darkness. White writing symbolises 'peace' black ink used to transmit all the knowledge in the world since ages.

State Wreath:- Placed at the bottom of the Postage Stamp signifies all the above elements together rest at the state and that the state provides foundation for all the elements to grow. By placing APC logo inside the wreath signifies that the State as a mother has embodied within its fold the children who made ultimate sacrifice.

On the First Anniversary of the Gruesome Incident of the Army Public School, Peshawar, a commemorative postage stamp of Rs. 16/- denomination is being issued by Pakistan Post on December 16, 2015.

Bookmark Shape:- The Bookmark shape symbolizes the new beginning or a watershed in the nation's history after APS incident of 16 December 2014.

Black Outer Border:- Usually postage stamp's outer colour is white. The black border with this postage is designed to remind of the tragedy as a sign of mourning.

Background Colour:- Green Colour. Green color is mostly associated with nature, youth, spring, hope and envy. It is often used to symbolize rebirth, renewal and immortality. APS children uniform and notebooks colour is also green. On the fateful day of 16 December 2014, children were wearing green jerseys. It also symbolises with Pakistan Flag. Many flags of the Islamic world are green, as the color is considered sacred in Islam. All other elements in the postage with Green colour look bright and prominent.

Victory Symbol:- This is the actual bruised and blood stained hand of a victim child who dared to make "V" sign in the face of death and trauma. Word "Pakistan" is placed right above "V" to signify that the country's existence hinges on the sacrifices of these children.

Words "Sacrifice, Resilience and Hope" and "Shall Rise and Shine" Sacrifices of these children jolted nation's collective conscious and triggered it into Resilience which eventually led to the Hope. Once read in continuation, Sacrifice, Resilience and Hope leads to Pakistan which Shall Rise and Shine (APS Moto).

Sunshine behind the Hand:- It embodies hope and early morning rays of a rising sun after the dark night.

Iqbal's Verse:- Symbolically, the verse is child's prayer for a life full of light to fight forces of darkness. White writing symbolises 'peace' black ink used to transmit all the knowledge in the world since ages.

State Wreath:- Placed at the bottom of the Postage Stamp signifies all the above elements together rest at the state and that the state provides foundation for all the elements to grow. By placing APC logo inside the wreath signifies that the State as a mother has embodied within its fold the children who made ultimate sacrifice.

Bookmark Shape:- The Bookmark shape symbolizes the new beginning or a watershed in the nation's history after APS incident of 16 December 2014.

Black Outer Border:- Usually postage stamp's outer colour is white. The black border with this postage is designed to remind of the tragedy as a sign of mourning.

Background Colour:- Green Colour. Green color is mostly associated with nature, youth, spring, hope and envy. It is often used to symbolize rebirth, renewal and immortality. APS children uniform and notebooks colour is also green. On the fateful day of 16 December 2014, children were wearing green jerseys. It also symbolises with Pakistan Flag. Many flags of the Islamic world are green, as the color is considered sacred in Islam. All other elements in the postage with Green colour look bright and prominent.

Victory Symbol:- This is the actual bruised and blood stained hand of a victim child who dared to make "V" sign in the face of death and trauma. Word "Pakistan" is placed right above "V" to signify that the country's existence hinges on the sacrifices of these children.

Words "Sacrifice, Resilience and Hope" and "Shall Rise and Shine" Sacrifices of these children jolted nation's collective conscious and triggered it into Resilience which eventually led to the Hope. Once read in continuation, Sacrifice, Resilience and Hope leads to Pakistan which Shall Rise and Shine (APS Moto).

Sunshine behind the Hand:- It embodies hope and early morning rays of a rising sun after the dark night.

Iqbal's Verse:- Symbolically, the verse is child's prayer for a life full of light to fight forces of darkness. White writing symbolises 'peace' black ink used to transmit all the knowledge in the world since ages.

State Wreath:- Placed at the bottom of the Postage Stamp signifies all the above elements together rest at the state and that the state provides foundation for all the elements to grow. By placing APC logo inside the wreath signifies that the State as a mother has embodied within its fold the children who made ultimate sacrifice.

On the First Anniversary of the Gruesome Incident of the Army Public School, Peshawar, a commemorative postage stamp of Rs. 16/- denomination is being issued by Pakistan Post on December 16, 2015.

On Restoration of Murree G.P.O. November 04, 2015 (2015-07)

Murree General Post Office (GPO) is one of the most prominent historical landmarks of Pakistan's popular hilly summer town. It is deeply woven into the sociocultural milieu of the town and is considered to be the most frequented spot for tourists and visitors of all ages. Sitting majestically at a vantage point, it overlooks the famed bustling mall road of Murree.

The Murree Post Office was established in 1867. However the Post Office was built at the current location in 1904 on the land measuring 0.55 acres that was purchased from the Rajah of Kashmir state. In the British Raj the Post Office was the pivot of communications between the Murree and the garrison town of Rawalpindi, as a horse coach would exchange the mail on daily basis well into the twentieth century. The horse coach drivers were a class of men apart, who through storm & rain, torrents & hill slides, hail & snow fearlessly carried His Majisty's mails often at the risk of their lives. The Gazetter of District Rawalpindi (1893-94) noted that the Murree Post Office was a combined Post and Telegraph Office and offered telegraphic, money order and savings bank services. It was later upgraded to Head Post Office, which expanded its accounting jurisdiction to Abbottabad and Muzaffarabad. It also served as mail transit office for sub Post Offices of Hazara & Azad Kashmir. Murree Post Office also established the first ever Philatelic and tourist information in 1975. In 1983 it was upgraded to class one General Post Office under the charge of a Gazetted Postmaster.

The iconic historic GPO building has undergone numerous structural changes since the British originally built it. In 1970 the facade of the GPO was drastically altered while undergoing reconstruction and renovation. The construction of high-rise buildings in its vicinity further deteriorated the environment due to the thoughtless visual intrusions.

Restoration of Murree GPO is the part of an initiative of Government of Pakistan to preserve Murree as an heritage hill station. Under this initiative, the Prime Minister of Pakistan approved a special grant for the reconstruction of Murree GPO to its original form. Urban management unit, planning and development department, Government of punjab provided the technical assistance for the project. The restored GPO will house a national Postal museum, a cafe shop and the Post Office.

On Restoration of Murree GPO, a commemorative postage stamp of Rs.8/- denomination is being issued by Pakistan Post on November 4, 2015.

Pakistan Academy of Letters Golden Jubilee. April 15th, 2026 (2026-04)

Established in 1976 as an autonomous organization under the National Heritage and Culture Division, Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) is a national institution dedicated to the promotion and publication of literature in Pakistani languages, as well as to the intellectual and financial support of writers. The Academy functions under a Board of Govermors comprising representative writers from across the country and various Pakistani languages. In addition to its headquarters in islamabad, the Academy operates five regional offices in Lahore, Karachi, Quetta, Peshawar, and Multan, which play an active role in organizing literary activities and maintaining liaison with writers nationwide.

This year, Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Over the past five decades, it has established itself as a dynamic and multifaceted national mattution contributing significantly to the promotion of Pakistani iterature and languages. During this period, PAL has published more than 600 books, including creative, research-based, and translated works. It has also actively promoted translations of international literature into Urdu and other Pakistani languages, as wel as translations of Pakistani literature into world languages. For the promotion of literature, PAL, regularly publishes its quarterly joumal Adabiyat, along with journals in Pakistani languages. To promote literature produced in English in Pakistan, as well as English translations of Pakistani literature, a high-quality illary yournal titled Pakistani Literature is published. Additionally, an online edition titled Adabiyat Intemational is also available.

Through its Translation Bureau (Darul Tarjuma), PAL translates selected works of world Sternsturs inte Untu and other Pakistani languages, and introduces selected works of Pakistani literature in world languages. For this purposes, lateral translation projects are also being carried out under Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with literary and cultural institutions of various countries.

PAL also organizes local national and international literary events on diverse academic and literary themes, including international conferences, seminars, and mushairas For the training and encouragement of emerging writers, PAL, conducts residency programs, literary festivals, exchange programs, creative

workshops, and informal intellectual gatherings such as "Chai, Baatai'n aur Kitabal'n", Under the Academy's Studio interviews with prominent writers, recordings of literary events and audiobooks are produced and disseminated through its digital platforms.

Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) has also made notable contributions to the promotion of children's literature, including special publications, translations, journals such as Adabiyät Atfäl, and conferences

In recogriition of literary excellence, PAL has established a "Hall of Fame" at its head office, Islamabad, where the contributions of prominent Pakistani weillers and poets are preserved. Furthermore, to safeguard literary hentage, PAL, established a Literary Museum of 74 Pakistani Languages in 2025, where information related to Pakistani languages and their literalwe will be preserved in digital, audio, and video formats.

The welfare of writers remains one of PAL's core priorities. For this purpose, financial assistance and monthly stipends are provided to deserving writers, while institutions working for the promotion of literature are also supported, PAL, also advises the government on matters related to national languages and literature, and nominates writers for civil awards

Each year, Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) confers National Literary Awards on 22 outstanding books across ten Pakistani languages. In addition, the prestigious Kamal-i-funn Award is presented to distinguished weilers in recognition of their lifetime achievements.

On the eve of Pakistan Academy of Letters Golden Jubilee Pakistan Post Is issuing the Commemorative Postage Stamp of Rs.30/- each denomination on April 18 2026.

100 Years of Urdu in Turkey. October 12, 2015 (2015-06)

The year 2015 is of special importance as it marks the centenary of Urdu in Turkey. It was exactly 100 years ago that the instruction of Urdu language and literature formally commenced in Turkey. Having passed through many phases over the past century, this process has contributed immensely to the advancement of Urdu in Turkey on the one hand, and enriched the relationship between the Turkish and Pakistani nations on the other hand.

Urdu language is indeed a strong reflection of the eternal bonds between the two nations. The word 'Urdu' itself is derived from the Turkish language. Experts estimate that there are about 6,000 words common to Urdu and Turkish languages.

According to scholars of Urdu language and literature, it was in 1915 that the instruction of Urdu first started at the Darul Funoon (the Faculty of Edebiyat) at the Istanbul University, and Abdul Jabbar Khairi was appointed as professor of Urdu language.

Subsequently, especially following the independence of Pakistan in 1947, a number of initiatives were taken to promote Urdu studies in Turkey. These efforts picked up further momentum in the 1960s and 1970s with the establishment of Urdu/Pakistan Studies chairs at the Ankara University and Istanbul University. Currently, three Turkish Universities - Ankara University, Istanbul University, and Selcuk University (Konya) - have functioning Urdu Departments.

Over the years, extensive and invaluable research has been conducted on the works of luminaries of Urdu poetry and prose - including Amir Khusro, Mir, Ghalib, Hali, Azad, Sir Syed, Iqbal, Hashar, Yildirim, and Manto. Of special importance is the wide-ranging research done on the literary and philosophical works of the national poet of Pakistan, Allama Muhammad Iqbal including through translations, commentaries and scholarly monographs. Seminal works by scholars in Turkey have, among others, focused on Iqbal's spiritual connection with Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi as well as on the similarities of thought between Iqbal and Mehmet Akif Ersoy, the eminent Turkish poet who also composed Turkey's national anthem. Currently, Turkish scholars are focusing on contemporary Urdu poets and prose-writers and gradually introducing their works in Turkey as well.

A large number of Turkish academics and scholars have contributed to the promotion of Urdu language and literature in Turkey. While it is not possible to name all of them, no account of Urdu in Turkey would be complete without mentioning the services of stalwarts like Prof. Zafar Hasan Aibak, Prof. Ali Nihat Tarian, Dr. Abdul Kadir Kara Han, Dr. Mehmet Onder, Dr. Shaukat Bolu, Dr. Erkan Turkmen, Dr. Selma Beneli, Dr. Gulserin Halici, Dr. Halil Toker, Dr. Asuman Belen, and Dr. Celal Soydan.

Similarly, those who have played a key role in introducing and promoting Urdu in Turkey, besides the Khairi brothers in the second decade of the previous century, include Ambassador of Pakistan Mian Bashir Ahmad, Tariq Farooqui, Dr. Hanif Fauq. Dr. A.S. Ibadat Barelvi, Dr. Ghulam Hussain Zulfiqar, Dr. Nisar Ahmad Asrar, Dr. Ahmad Bakhtiar Ashraf, Dr. Dr. Anwar Ahmad, and Dr. Furqan Hameed.

Over the past several decades, the Government of Pakistan has made its own contributory efforts for the promotion of Urdu in Turkey. These includes establishment of Urdu and Pakistan Studies Chairs, posting of scholars, provision of books and teaching materials, and support for mutual collaboration between relevant Universities. Specific measures are underway to upgrade these efforts and further advance this important work in the coming years.

The credit for celebrating 100 years of Urdu studies in Turkey in a befitting manner goes to the Istanbul University, acknowledged internationally as a premier institution of higher learning. Among other things, the University has organized an international symposium from 12-14 October 2015, with participation of a large number of Urdu scholars from Pakistan as well as from several other countries. The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality has lent valuable support to this initiative. Prof. Dr. Halil Toker, the Head of Urdu Department, Edebiyat Faculty, at the Istanbul University, has played an instrumental role in organizing these celebrations and in overall endeavours to promote the cause of Urdu.

It is equally fitting that the Government of Pakistan is commemorating the centenary of Urdu language in Turkey with the issuance of a special postage stamp. This would not only serve to increase greater awareness of Urdu and Pakistan Studies in Turkey but would also help further accentuate the cultural dimension of the special relationship existing between Pakistan and Turkey.

Indeed, the Pakistan-Turkey relationship remains unique in inter-state relations marked as it is by deep mutual trust and understanding and ever-growing cooperation. Successive generations have worked assiduously to nurture these historic ties embedded in indissoluble bonds of common faith, shared history, and cultural and civilizational links. No wonder that Pakistan and Turkey are often described as being, 'Two States, One Nation. This new milestone in the shared history of the two countries, and its special commemoration during 2015, brings the two peoples ever closer.

On 100 Years of Urdu in Turkey, a commemorative postage stamp of Rs. 10/-denomination is being issued by Pakistan Post on October 12, 2015.