PAKISTAN & AZERBAIJAN JOINT ISSUE (2018-3)

 

Since the independence of Azerbaijan in 1991, Pakistan and Azerbaijan have enjoyed close and cooperative relations. Pakistan was among the first country to recognize Azerbaijan's independence from the former Soviet Union in October 1991. Diplomatic relations were established in June 1992 and Embassy of Pakistan was opened in Baku in March 1993. The Embassy of Azerbaijan in Islamabad was opened in 1997.

Pakistan greatly values its friendly and cooperative ties with Azerbaijan, which have deep roots in common faith, cultural affinities, and shared traditions. We are committed to comprehensively upgrading bilateral cooperation across all areas of common interest. The frequent high-level exchanges between our two countries are a reflection of special brotherly ties between the two countries and the mutual respect we have for each other. We are confident that through our joint efforts our fraternal ties and cooperative relations will continue to grow further in the years to come.

Pakistan greatly appreciates the unequivocal support extended by Azerbaijan to Pakistan on the Kashmir dispute both at bilateral as well as multilateral fora. Pakistan has been extending unqualified support to Azerbaijan in its dispute with Armenia over Nagorno Karabakh.

Pakistan also value the support provided by Azerbaijan to Pakistan at times. of natural disasters. The Heydear Aliyev Foundation, under the patronage of First Lady of Azerbaijan Madam Mahriban Aliyeva, has undertaken humanitarian work in Pakistan, especially during the 2005 earthquake, and 2010 floods, which is highly appreciated by the government and people of Pakistan.

We look forward to strengthening our brotherly relations with Azerbaijan the further in all areas of mutual interest for the progress and prosperity of the people of both countries.

During the 6th session of Pakistan Azerbaijan Joint Commission (JC) eld on 25-27 April, 2016 at Islamabad, the following decision for enhancing cooperation between the two countries in the postal sector was taken,

"For promotion of Philately both sides agreed for issuance of joint- Commemorative Postage Stamps".

Subsequently it was mutually decided to dedicate the Stamps to commemorate the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. It was mutually agreed to show the Architectural monuments and hence to depict Mosques of both the countries on the Joint Stamps, Heydar Mosque of Azerbaijan and Wazir Khan Mosque of Pakistan.

Heydar Mosque

The opening of the Heydar Mosque took place on December 26, 2014. The building, which covers a total area of 12,000 square meters was constructed under the instructions of the head of state, Mister llham Aliyev. The fa9ade of the Mosque was covered with special stones architectural style of Shirvan-Absheron. It has four 95m- height minarets.

President llham Aliyev showed great interest in construction and was tightly following the whole process. Having total area of 4200 square meters, special decoration elements were used inside the mosque. The Koranic verses are written on the edges of the dome. 55m- height main and 35m- height second domes give special beauty to the inside of the mosque.

Wazir Khan Mosque

Lahore has been a hub of art and culture since centuries and we find innumerable art pieces scattered all around the city in the form of sculptures, paintings, monuments etc. One specimen of art is Wazir Khan Mosque. Built in 1634-35 A.O. during the reign of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, the mosque is named after its builder, Nawab Wazir Khan, a native of Chiniot whose family migrated to Lahore and rose to be one of the court physicians to the Mughal Emperor. His real name was Hakim Shaikh llam-ud-din Ansari. In due course, over a long lifetime of service, llam-ud-din Ansari, was made a Mughal noble, and was given the title of Wazir Khan. Later he became the Governor of Lahore. He was also Chief Qazi of Lahore for some time. As a great philanthropist, he contributed a lot to the city. Mosque Wazir Khan is perhaps the most precious addition to Lahore by him.

It took seven years to construct Wazir Khan Mosque. Mainly it was built from brick and tile because these were the popular constructional materials in those days. The mosque has five compartments and each of them is crowned with a dome. In the centre is the main prayer hall that has a dome larger than the rest that features a high framed portal protruding from the faade, with walls covered by intricate frescos that portray flowers, plants, fruits and trees. The display of so many kinds of fruits on silver platters, pitchers of wines and trees of different styles are a strong reference of gifts mentioned in Quran that will be postulated to the righteous believers when they will reach heaven.

The Wazir Khan Mosque contains some of the finest examples of mosaic tile work from the Mughal period. Masterful calligraphy verses from the Holy Quran adorn the walls alongside Persian poetry in its elegant forms. Floral designs and patterns emerge in symmetrical, harmonious waves, bringing a sense of tranquility to the mosque's echoing halls. Its impressive blend of calligraphy, geometrical forms and floral decoration lends a unique dimension to the building's structure that makes the Wazir Khan Mosque stand out as a paragon of beauty, balance and grandiosity.

The Commemorative Postage Stamps and Souvenir Sheet on Pakistan & Azerbaijan Joint Issue, Pakistan Post are issuing the Commemorative Postage Stamps of Rs.8/- denomination (Set of 2) and Souvenir Sheet of Rs. 50/- denomination on June 9, 2018.

75 YEARS OF ARMY BURN HALL COLLEGE ABBOTTABAD (1943-2018) (2018-2)

 

Army Burn Hall College, Abbottabad, is a unique institution of its kind with proud legacy and rich traditions. Its curriculum and environment distinguishes it from other academic institutions, which our alumni carry and exhibit throughout in their life style. Over the years, Burn Hall has produced generations of Hallians who are serving humanity across the globe with inspiration and follow up beyond geographical and political boundaries. Spirit behind our academic excellence and personality development pursuits are enshrined in the motto; Quo Non Ascendam i.e. To where Can I Not ascend.

Burn Hall traces its history back to 1943, when a team of missionaries from Mill Hill, London, k.nown as the Mill Hill Fathers, established the School in Srinagar. It was named after an English Manor House, which had a Hall with a small stream (burn) running through it. The school was administered by the Fathers in English Public school tradition.

After partition, in 1948, the Fathers, with a handful of students shifted the school to Abbottabad and set it up in a small hotel building, the Abbott Hotel. The school was among the best in the count<y and soon more buildings were added to accommodate the increasing number of students. The school was under the control of the Diocesan Board of Education, Rawalpindi.

In 1956, a new school was constructed a few miles outside the town to provide more room for seniors and came to be known as 'Senior Burn Hall'. The new school was designed to allow for adequate sports facilities and included playgrounds for all games, including a swimming pool.

Ideally located at 4300 feet above sea level in natural surroundings, coupled with the zeal and fervour with which the Fathers and school staff administered the school, it became one of the leading schools of the country. It excelled in academic and literary activities and encouraged competition in sports, by having House Games and inter school/ college sports fixtures. The high standards achieved were in sync with the School motto 'Quo Non Ascendam'.

In 1976 the Fathers faced insurmountable problems in running the school satisfactorily and handed over the management of the School to the Pakistan Army. Since then it has been renamed as Army Burn Hall College for Boys, whereas, the old campus was converted into Army Burn Hall College for Girls. Since then both the Colleges have been functioning separately, under Commander 10 Corps, as Chairman Board of Governors. The new management has not only maintained the traditions set by the Fathers, but also has added new buildings and facilities necessitated over the years.

Equipped with magnificent infrastructure and supplemented by professionally competent faculty, the college is inspired by its noble mission and functions through a carefully crafted comprehensive education philosophy to produce personalities of eminence and leaders of stature. Besides formal education, moral, physical and social grooming of students is enacted through a host of co curricular and extracurricular activities. Charged with the spirits of imparting quality education, the faculty encourages active and creative minds, attempts to infuse sense of understanding and compassion for others with the conviction and trust on their beliefs and potentials.

The College routine capitalizes on every single moment toward-s inculcating values of integrity, self-discipline, sense of responsibility, self-confidence and healthy competitive spirit among its students. Efforts are still in hand to further it by ensuring quality intake with progressive career development and challenging yet achievable standards, professional grooming of faculty, and by creating an atmosphere for wholesome personality. The enterprise is off course two folds, whereby, parents and the college together should devise to craft the future of their future generation.

On the occasion of 75 Years of Army Burn Hall College, Abbottabad (1943-2018), Pakistan Post is issuing a Commemorative Postage Stamp of Rs 8/- denomination on March 5, 2018.

GREEN PAKISTAN PROGRAMME (2018-1)

Introduction:

The diversity of landscapes and climates in Pakistan allow a wide variety of trees and plants to flourish. Similarly, the fauna of Pakistan also reflects its varied geography and climates. Around 668 bird species occur, including many migratory species coming from Europe, Central Asia and Russia. The flora and fauna of Pakistan suffer from a number of problems - many linked to habitat change and land degradation. Only 5.2% (4.2 m ha) of Pakistan's total area is under forests. The rate of deforestation does not commensurate with the rehabilitation efforts.The illegal hunting of animals is resulting in decreasing wildlife population in the country.The share of public investment including federal PSDP and provincial ADPs, is disappointedly very low. Resultantly, growth and yields of forests declined sharply and revenues from this sector shrunk.

Programme Objective:

The Prime Minister of Pakistan while considering a summary submitted by the Ministry of Climate Change decided to revive forestry and wildlife resources in Pakistan under the "Green Pakistan Programme". The main objective of the programme is to facilitate transition towards environmentally resilient Pakistan by main streaming notions of adaptation and mitigation through ecologically targeted initiatives covering afforestation, biodiversity conservation and enabling policy environment.

Thematic Objective:

The thematic objectives of the programme towards reviving forestry and wildlife resources in the country are given as under:

Forestry Sector:

A)           One hundred million new indigenous plants, including 20% fruit plants, over next five years will provide platform to make the country green and •serene as under:

a.            One thousand Avenue Miles of Canal Side/Roadside Plantations in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh

b.            Historic Irrigated Plantations of Changa Manga, Daphar, Bahawalpur and Chichawatni

c.             Olive and KikarPhulai forests in Kala Chitta, PabbiRasul and Fort Monroe scrub forests of Punjab

d.            Mangrove forests in Karachi and Badin alongwith Scrub hill forests of Khirthar range in Sindh       Juniper forests of Ziarat and Chilghoza forest in Suleiman Ranges of Balochistan

f.             Watershed and Soil Conservation Plantations and Operations in Gilgit-Baltistan and AJK moist tropical forest areas (Reserved as well as Community Forests)

g.            Guzara forests in Murree/ KotliSattian and Hazara and Protected forests of Malakand region in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

h.                            Dry temperate forests in FATA (Orakzai, North Wazirastan Agencies etc.)

B)            Strengthening policy milieu for conservation of biodiversity.

a.            Approval and launching of National Forest Policy.

b.            Approval and implementation of National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan.

c.             Establish strategic support units at national and provincial level to ensure smooth implementation of ongoing green initiatives and plan future activities on sustainable basis.

C)            Supporting communication measures and demand mobilization for an environmentally resilient Pakistan.

a.                            Projection of best practices of Gr en Pakistan Programme through media and at international forums.

b.            Capacity Building of provincial forestry and wild life departments to support afforestation, awareness campaigns and human resource development for sound natural resource management and bio­diversity promotion.

Wildlife Sector:

The aim of the project is to revive and functionally reorganize ,wildlife departments at provincial/AJK & GB level through development of time bound plans including capacity building and incentive driven performance regime. The implementation of these plans shall be ensured through technical assistance of Ministry of Climate Change to revive wildlife sector in the country.

A)           Reorganization of wildlife departments through time bound plans

B)            Capacity building of provincial wildlife departments.

C)            Improve performance regime through incentivized mechanism. Protected Areas (PAs) management and wildlife conservation in Pakistan is a provincial subject. The Provincial/territorial Governments have set up their wildlife departments, which conserve, protect and manage wildlife and PAs under their respective wildlife legislations. However, policy formulation, liaison with international agencies, conventions and coordination with provincial/territorial authorities is carried out at federal level by Forestry Wing, Ministry of Climate Change.

On Green Pakistan Programme, the commemorative postage stamps of Rs.8/-of each denomination (03 Stamps) are being issued by Pakistan Post on February 09, 2018.

50th Anniversary of Asia Pacific Postal Union. (2012-7)

Commemorative Postage Stamp on 50Th Anniversary of Asian – Pacific Postal Union April 1, 2012:- The Asian Pacific Postal Union (Appu0 is an inter-governmental organization of 33 postal administrations of the Asia-Pacific region. APPU is affiliated to the Universal Postal Union (UPU) which is a specialized agency of the United Nations. The purpose of the APPU is to extend, facilitate and improve postal relations between member countries and to promote cooperation in the field of postal services.

Brief History:- The idea of a restricted union in this part of the world came up first in the late 1950s. In order to give a concrete shape to the idea, after informal discussions, the Philippines government sent through diplomatic channel the invitations to 18 countries for a roundtable in Manila on 10-23 January 1961. Among the countries invited were Afghanistan, Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam. The roundtable drew up the Asian Oceanic Postal Convention.

The Convention was to come into force on 1 April 1962. On that date, we formed a union among ourselves called “Asian Oceanic Postal Union” which later on was renamed as the actual “Asian-Pacific Postal Union” by the 4th AOPU Congress held in Yogyakarta in 1981. We then established our headquarters in Manila with Mr. Enrico Palomar, Postmaster General of the Philippines as our first Director. The headquarters was relocated to Bangkok in 2002.

In due course others countries of the Asia-Pacific region joined this regional postal union making it today an inter-governmental body of 33 countries namely ; Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Kiribati, Korea, Lao, Malaysia, Maldives, Mangolia, Myanmar, Nauru, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tonga, Vanuatu and Vietnam.

Organization:- The Congress, the Executive Council and the Bureau are the three organs of the Union. The main functions of these three organs are:

Congress:- The Congress is the supreme organ of the Union and composed of representatives of member countries. The representatives of the member countries of the Union meet in Congress not later than two years after holding of each Universal Postal Congress in order to revise the Acts of the Union, if necessary, and to consider, as necessary, other postal problems of common interest to the member countries.

The APPU Congress were held as follows:

1st AOPU Congress in Manila, Philippines in 1965

2nd AOPU Congress in Kyoto, Japan in 1970

3rd AOPU Congress in Melborne, Australia in 1975

4th AOPU Congress in Yogyakarta, Indonesia in 1981

5th AOPU Congress in Bangkok, Thailand in 1985

6th AOPU Congress in Rotorua, New Zealand in 1990

7th AOPU Congress in Singapore in 1995

8th AOPU Congress in Tehran, Iran in 2000

9th AOPU Congress in Seoul, Korea in 2005

10th AOPU Congress in Auckland, New Zealand in 2009

Executive Council:- The Executive Council (EC) comprises all the member=countries of the Union with a quorum of the majority. To ensure the continuity of the work of the Union in the intervals between Congresses, the Executive Council meets in principle once each year. The functions of the Executive Council are:

(a)                To perform any duty assigned to it by a Resolution of the Congress;

(b)               To lay down the international postal service rules which shall provide for details necessary for the operation of the international postal service between the member-countries;

(c)                To maintain contacts with postal administration of the member-countries of the Union with a view to improving the postal service;

(d)               To prescribe rules for the administration of the Bureau and to supervise the activities of the Bureau;

(e)                To review and approve the annual budget and accounts of the administrative section prepared by the Bureau in the intervals between Congresses;

(f)                 To make useful contacts with the various organs of the Universal Postal Union, with the Restricted Unions or with other specialized agencies of the United Nations with special interests in the area and, if necessary, to appoint representatives to conference of such organization;

(g)                To conclude agreements on behalf of the Union with the Universal Postal Union and other restricted Unions and international organizations with regard to such matters as technical co-operation with the concurrence of at least two-thirds of the members of the Union. The Council may authorize the Director of the Bureau to execute such agreements;

(h)                To assemble, prior to each Universal Postal Congress, in order to exchange and harmonize their views; and

(i)                  To make necessary steps, with the agreement of the majority of the members of Union, provisionally to carry out such other administrative acts which are not covered by he Acts of the Union and cannot await the next Congress for the settlement.

Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Executive Council;- are elected by the first Executive Council meeting convened immediately after the holding of the Congress at the same venue. In the normal course the chairmanship shall devolve by right on the host country of Congress.

Bureau:- The Bureau, formerly the Central office, serves as a medium of liaison, information, inquiry and training for the member-countries of the Union. The Bureau is composed of the administrative section and the training section. The Bureau is composed of a Director and such other staff as the union may require. The Bureau provides the secretarial for meetings of the union, jointly with the postal administration of the country where each meeting is held. The Bureau is under the general supervision of the Executive Council.

The Bureau provides training facilities and advisory services in the training section to improve postal services within Asia and the Pacific. This training section is administered by a Governing Board, chaired by the head of the host administration of the Bureau (Thailand). The governing Board meets at least once each year in the country where the Executive council will hold its meeting. The training section of the Bureau is known as the Asian Pacific Postal College.

Director of APPU Bureau is chosen, from among qualified postal officials, by the Executive Council or in Congress year by Congress. The tenure of office is fixed by the body which selects the Director.

The Director of APPU Bureau is its legal representative in all functions performed by the Bureau pursuant to the Acts of the Union and the decision of Congress of the Union. The Director represents the Union in the international conferences regarding postal service where representation of the Union is required.

Asian Pacific Postal College:- The Asian Pacific Postal College (APPC), formerly the Asian and Oceanic Postal Training School (AOPTS) and the Asian Pacific Postal Training Centre (APPTC), was established on 10 September 1970 in Bangkok following the recommendation of the first Congress of the Asian Pacific Postal Union (then the Asian and Oceanic Postal Union) held in Manila in 1965.

APPC was established with assistance from UPU and contribution from UNDP in the form of expert/consultant services, fellowships and equipment. The Government of Thailand generously provided the necessary premises for APPC.

APPC represents an outstanding example of international cooperation in the field of postal training. APPC has trained more than 5,000 postal managers from various postal administrations in the Asia-Pacific region and from the African continent.

APPC provides professional training in relevant areas covering international post, quality of service, sales and marketing, postal operations, postal planning and modernization, human resource management, information technology, business management, financial management etc. APPC provides external training programs in various countries. They are tailor-made programs designed to suit the specific needs of requesting administrations.

APPC organizes seminars and workshops by UPU, related organizations and postal administrations.

On 50th anniversary of Asian-Pacific Postal Union (APPU), Pakistan Post is issuing a Commemorative Postage Stamp of Rs.8/- denomination on April 1, 2012.

Gems & Minerals of Pakistan. Rocks. Stone. Ruby. Peridot. Emerald. Sapphire. (2012-04)

Special Postage Stamps on Gems And Minerals of Paksitan February 24, 2012:- Emerald:- Emerald, the name is of ancient origin, the Latin “Samaragdus” known as Green Stone, is a variety of the mineral beryl (Be3Al2(SiO3) 6) colored green by trace amounts of chromium and sometimes vanadium. It has hexagonal crystal system, having hardness of 7 – 8 in Moh scale.

The inclusion in emerald can be highly distinctive; bubbles of gas in a liquid (like a sprit level), within spindle-shaped or, more rarely, truncated prismatic cavities; birefringent, circular plates of mica; multifaceted pyrite crystals or calcite rhombohedra.

The typical color is beautiful due to traces of chromium in the crystal structure. An emerald has various shades from light or dark green to bright or leaf green. The most common shape for gem is the step or trap cut, which is also known as emerald cut. Stones of fine colour, weighing more than 2 carats, are among the most highly valued gemstones.

Unlike diamond, where the loupe standard, i.e. 10x magnification, is used to grade clarity, emerald is graded by eye. Thus, if an emerald has no visible inclusions to the eye (assuming normal visual acuity), it is considered flawless. Stones that lack surface breaking fissures are extremely rare and therefore almost all emeralds are treated, “oiled”, to enhance the apparent clarity.

In Pakistan, Emeralds are found at Mingora, Gujar Killi, Shamozai, Charbagh, Makhad of Swat; Gandao of Mohmand Agency, Barang of Bajaur Agency, Kot of Malakand Agency, khaltaro of the Gilgit Biltistan and Dokoo of Shinger Valley.

Rubby:- The name comes from the Latin rubrum, “red”. It is the most valuable variety of corundum group. Its crystal system is trigonal. Ruby is a-alumina (the most stable form of AI2O3) in which a small fraction of the aluminum3+ ions are replaced by chromium3+. This crystallographic arrangement strongly affects each Cr3+, resulting in light absorption in the yellow-green region of the spectrum and thus in the red color of the gem.

The brightest red and thus the most valuable rubies often have areas full of inclusions in the form of minute rutile neddles, which interfere with the light producing a distinctive silky shine known, in fact, as silk. When the silk is not heavy, the stones are clearer, more attractive and even more valuable. Other, mainly crystalline inclusions are normally found as well. Rubies of this type are not usually more than a few carats in weight. There are exceptions, generally containing copious inclusion and have hardness 9 in Moh scale.

The ruby is considered one of the four precious stones, together with the sapphire, the emerald, and the diamond.

The brightest and most valuable “red” called pigeon blood-red, commands a huge premium over other rubies of similar quality. After color follows clarity similar to diamonds, a clear stone will command premium, but a ruby without any needle-like rutile inclusions may indicate that the stone has been treated.

Some rubies show a 3-point or 6-point aster whereas, some rubies show a 3-point or 6-point asterism or “star”. These rubies are cut into cabochons to display the effect properly. This is one example where inclusions increase the value of a gemstone. Furthermore, rubies can show a change in color though this occurs very rarely as a “cat’s eye” effect. These rubies are cut into cabshon to display the effect properly.

In Pakistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) Rubies are found at Aliabad of Hunza Valley, Basal area of Naran, Astore of Gilgit Baltistan and also huge and best quality deposits are found in Nangimali and Batakundi.

Sapphire:- The name of this blue variety of corundum is probably derived from the Latin sapphires and Greek sapheiros. This is one of the two or three gem-varieties of corundum, with another one being the red or deep pink ruby. Trace amounts of other elements such as iron, titanium, or chromium can give corundum blue, yellow, pink, purple, orange, or greenish color. Pink-orange sapphires are also called padmaraga. Pure chromium is the distinct impurity of ribies. However, a combination of e.g. chromium and titanium can give sapphire a color distinct from red.

Although blue is the most well-known color, sapphires are made up of any color of corundum except for red. Sapphires may also be colorless, and they are also found in shades of gray and black having a trigonal crystal structure with a hardness 9 in Moh scale.

Inclusions are, as a rule, less obvious in very dark stones, due to their general lack of transparency, whereas medium to large pale stones often show distinct “veils” or “feathers” caused by very fine inclusion and foreign crystals, which are sometimes transparent, sometimes dark, submetallic, opaque, and, very occasionally, bright red.

In Pakistan Sapphire deposits are found in Aliabad and Muzaffarabad (AJK).

Peridot:- The name could be derived from the Greek “peridona” meaning “giving plenty” or from the Arabic word Faridat or Zabargad. Later the stone was known as Topazion. Probably around the 18th century, the French were the first to call the yellowish-green stone Peridot, although the English have similar claims, It was probably, regarding their history, more of a French name. However, the name source of the Peridot is not very clear.

It was discovered a couple of thousands years BC ago by the sailors landed on a small Island of the Serpents, red sea, under the bright moonlight they saw glowing crystals among the volcanic earth. At first light those crystals turn green glitters in the sand.

Peridot belongs to the forsterite-fayalite (most of the gem variety is predominantly foresterite, named after the German naturalist, John Forester) mineral series which is part of the Olivine group. It is one of the “idiochromatic” gems, meaning the color created by the basic chemical composition of the mineral itself, not from minor impurities, and therefore will only be found in shades of green.

Its chemical formula is (Mg,Fe)2SiO4 with hardness of 6.5-7 in Moh scale.

In iron-and magnesium-rich intrusive rocks it usually occurs as unhedral crystal; but in effusive rocks, such as basalts, it more often has a prismatic appearance. Peridot shades very from a yellowish (olive) green, a stronger, almost bottle green, or pale yellow tinged with green. It has unexceptional, vitreous luster, increasing its resemblance to olive oil.

In Pakistan Peridot occurs to the southeast of west Sapat Gali, and to the north of Rah Wali Sapat (Parla Sapat, Kaghan-Naran area) and to the west of Ratti Gatti (Kohistan area).

Paksitan Post is issuing a set of four special postage stamps of Rs. 8/- denomination in eacs desigen on Gems and Minerals of Pakistan on February 24, 2012.