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.