CHILD ART COMPETITION NATIONAL STAMP EXHIBITION "KURRACHEE 2012" Special Postage Stamps Sheet June 22, 2012 (2012-14)

 

The basic concept behind the Child Art Competition is to bring the creativity in the young and how they express their ideas to the world. To encourage arid promote this art, and to achieve a milestone in the world of Philately Pakistan Post is issuing a sheet of 8 postage stamps depicting "An Won by the children designs which are taken from the selected "Stamp Drawing Competitions" held by Stamp Society of Pakistan/Pakistan Post as a live event during the past two years

The Stamp Society of Pakistan had organized National Stamp Exhibition and Stamp Drawing Competitions jointly sponsored by Dawn Group, Philatelic Federation of Pakistan and Pakistan Post Office based on FIAP rules at Expo Centre. Karachi. During the last two years, this was held within the "Life Style Exhibition" organized by Dawn Group

The Stamp Society of Pakistan is among the pioneering Stamp Society in Karachi with over 150 members and has been proactive in disseminating knowledge and awareness through regular exhibitions. In collaboration with the Dawn Lifestyle and the patronage of Philatelic Federation of Pakistan, the exhibillions is very popular. A number of new stamp collector got rejuvenated as collectors and some also participated in the Asian and international exhibitions after due accreditation and judging at Expo Centre, Karachi

The stamp drawing competitions has always been an essential part of every exhibition and have accomplished the glory of Stamp printing which have been selected from the drawing competition in 2009/2010 on the occasion of National Stamp Exhibition titled "Kurrachee 2011". That was the very first time in the History of the World that printing postage stamp made through the LIVE Stamp Drawing competition

This Youth Painting Competition is divided in two age groups. Group "A" for children from 4 to 10 years old and group "B" from 11 to 15 years. The competition is announced well in advance in the news papers, and large number of children from all major school of Karachi/Sindh participate in the competition alongwith their teachers and parents Participation and interest of children has increased each year and we have now seen entries from all over Pakistan The children have portrayed the given topics on their paintings in a very creative manner.

Children not only draw from life, but also portray what is happing around them. They also become more aware of the current situations of the country, which they try to depict in their paintings it's a real treat to see the excitement and interest of the children and a strong desire to draw better from others participants in just two hours

The Jury comprising of Mr. Adil Salahuddin, (Sitara-e-Imtiaz), Senior Officials of Pakistan Post and Philatelic Federation of Pakistan to judge the

paintings

A set of eight stamps with two labels in the center are being issued from the selected paintings by the following young artists. These drawings have been taken also from the past competitions.

The selected Artworks of the following children depicted on the Postage Stamps and First Day Cover.

Priya Parkash Mansha St. Patrick Girls High School Age: 13.5 Years	Ali Muhammad Nizar Foundation Public School. Age: 8 Years	LOGO of Pakistan Post	Samayan Hasan Khan Happy Home Scand Hussainabad. Age: 10 Years	Sheza Ashraf Happy Home Screa Age: 15 Years
Yamna Naveed St. Patrick's Girls High School. Age: 10 Years	Ayesha Qureshi Karachi Public School. Age: 7.5 Years	KURRACHEE 2012 PHILATELIC EXHIBITION	Vania Rizvi Bay View High Middle School Age: 13 Years	Marium Shahzad The Country Scavol Age: 13 Years

·         Priya Parkash Mansha St. Patrick Girls High School Age: 13.5 Years

·         Ali Muhammad Nizar Foundation Public School. Age: 8 Years

·         Samayan Hasan Khan Happy Home Scand Hussainabad. Age: 10 Years

·         Sheza Ashraf Happy Home Screa Age: 15 Years

·         Yamna Naveed St. Patrick's Girls High School. Age: 10 Years

·         Ayesha Qureshi , Karachi Public School. Age: 7.5 Years

·         Vania Rizvi Bay View High Middle School Age: 13 Years

·         Marium Shahzad The Country Scavol Age: 13 Years

Paintings on First Day Cover by MALAIKA ZIA JAFRI: Age 7 Years Froebel Education Center Karachi and AYSHA KHAN Age 7 years

This is the third time that the paintings selected from Live Stamp Drawing Competitions are depicted on stamps and fourth time for the Child Art. This effort by the organizers and Pakistan Post has encouraged the youth and opened the doorway to young artists in the country, one day they will also became serious Philatelists.

This is combined team work of Pakistan Post, Mr. Adil Salahuddin, the Organizers Mr. Iqbal Nanjee (Chairman of Organizing committere & President Engr. Afzal Nanjee, Mr. Usman Tahir of Stamp Society of Pakistan, and the officials of Philatelic Federation who took keen interest in organizing the events for the Philatelic World.

GOLDEN JUBILEE AYUB BRIDGE 1962-2012 (2012- 13)

 

Golden Jubilee of Ayub Bridge Commemorative Postage Stamp June 15, 2012:- The bridge was designed by Dr. D.B Steinman of New York and it was constructed by Doman Long Ltd (German) in association with M.S Gammon Construction Ltd. (Pakistan. Construction of Ayub Bridge was commenced on November 26, 1959 and completed on March 17, 1962. Total cost of the bridge at the time of construction was 21.6 million Pak rupees. The bridge was inaugurated by the then President of Pakistan, Field Marshal Muhammad Ayub Khan and opened for Rail traffic on May 6, 1962.

This is Steel Arch Suspension Bridge. The height of Crown of arch above bearing is 204.7 feet. The quantities of steel, High Tensile steel and Mild steel are respectively 131 tons, 1002 tons (main chord) and 1907 ton (rest of the portion of bridge). Span of the bridge is 806 feet and 9 inches.

The road over the Sukkur barrage involving a distance of 13 kilometers betweenSukkur and Rohri Railway Station remained the only road connection between Sukkur and Rohri. It was decided to utilize the Lansdowne Bridge for road traffic by providing a roadway. The work was started on December 16, 1963 and completed on June 10, 1964. By opening of roadway the distance for the road taffic between Sukkur and Rohri was reduced to 5 kilometers as against 13 kilometers over the Sukkur Barrage. Lansdowne Bridgte was a road bridge and it is still in working condition having full functional capacity. There is a beautiful Hindu sacred shrine in downstream of this bridge with a graceful Army Restoration.

It has a proper decking for Army purposes. It may serve as a road bridge as well as an emergency bridge during war time. Even the heaviest vehicle like Tanks can also easily cross over this bridge. It is truly called as the masterpiece of Railway Engineers.

There was no such engineered arch at that time in Asia, when this arch of 800 meters was buils in 1962. Even today as it stands, has the third largest arch’s position in Asia. Ayub Bridge has been constructed with the help of such a fine and best quality material that it still stands in its original state. While coming from Lahore to Rohri, this gigantic bridge can be easily seen from a distance of 04 kilometers.

On the Golden Jubilee of Ayub Bridge, Pakistan Post is issuing a commemorative postage stamp of Rs.8/- denomination on June 15, 2012.

50TH ANNIVERSARY OF STATE VISIT OF THEIR MAJESTIES KING BHUMIBOL ADULYADEJ AND QUEEN SIRIKIT OF THAILAND TO PAKISTAN (1962-2012) May 5, 2012 (2012-10)

 

From 11-22 March 1962, Their Majesties King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit of Thailand paid a state visit to Pakistan. The year 2012 marks the 50th anniversary of the Royal visit. This auspicious occasion is being commemorated in both countries in a fitting manner.

During the 12-day visit, Their Majesties had the occasion to visit different parts of Pakistan - including its major cities, witnessing its evolution from the days of the Buddhist Gandhara to modern times, and experiencing its diverse culture and traditions from Khyber to Karachi.

Pakistan and Thailand have always enjoyed a close, cordial relationship marked by trust, mutual understanding, and growing cooperation. In its substance and symbolism, therefore, the Royal visit to Pakistan reflected the true spirit of friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

During their stay in Pakistan, Their Majesties visited several industrial sites across the country, saw naval installations in Karachi, and inspected a hydel project at Warsak. The Royal guests traveled through the historic Khyber Pass. The Peshawar University conferred an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Law on His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Deeply interested in Pakistan's cultural heritage, Their Majesties visited Taxila to see the Buddhist Gandhara sites and artifacts. In Lahore, Their Majesties visited the famous Mughal monuments and appreciated the grandeur and architectural uniqueness of these buildings.

In Lahore and Karachi, Their Majesties also attended grand civic receptions held in order to welcome the Royal guests from Thailand to Pakistan. They were enthralled by the cultural performances organized for them during the visit.

In essence, the Royal visit contributed immensely to enhanced knowledge and understanding between the two peoples and to reinforcing the abiding friendship and cordiality between the two countries.

The 1962 state visit remains a landmark in the journey of friendship between Pakistan and Thailand. It is also a beacon of light for the future, as the two countries work together to forge a substantive partnership of mutual benefit in all areas of common interest.

On the occasion of 50th anniversary of state visit of their Majesties King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit of Thailand to Pakistan (1962-2012), Pakistan Post is issuing a commemorative postage stamp of Rs.8/- denomination on May 5, 2012.

CELEBRATION YAUM-E-SHUHADA AS THE HONOUR OF THE SUPREME SACRIFICES OF MARTYRS FOR THE SOVEREIGNTY OF PAKISTAN April 30, 2012 (2012-9)

 

1. History of Pakistan Army is replete with tales of its brave soldiers who have always been forthcoming to defend this motherland and in this way, have also laid their lives, whenever and where-ever. It is an Army that carries a history of passing through number of tests in its short history of six decades. Like every other resilient nation, Pakistan also remembers its martyrs in golden words. The sacrifices made by these men have been acknowledged at all levels by every citizen of Pakistan. To keep these spirits high, Pakistan Army celebrates 30th April as Yaum- e-Shuhada every year since 2010 in order to pay tribute to martyrs from cross section of society who have laid down their lives for the sovereignty of Pakistan and security of its habitants.

The day is marked to remind the Nation about the sacrifices of civil population, law enforcement agencies (LEAs) including Armed Forces and Police. This day also highlights the distinctive achievements of the Government of Pakistan in fighting the menace of terrorism and its determination for the future.Basic idea behind this event is to acknowledge the sacrifices made by our brave soldiers by holding ceremonial parades at all garrisons of the country and a ground ceremonial military parade on Shuhada monument at General Headquarters. The event is attended by high level military and civil dignitaries, foreigners and selected Next of Kins (NOKs) of shuhada who share their experiences and resolve with the audience. Ever since its conception and intial holding in 2010, the event is widely covered by national print and electronic media by publishing special supplements and a special telecast of TV programmes with reference to this day.

2. The objectives of Yaum-e-Shuhada are:-

a. Pay tribute to Shuhada.

b. Project the role of LEAs including Army and Police.

c. To inculcate the national spirit and acknowledgment of sacrifices of martyrs at national level.

d. Image building and morale boosting of LEAs and the public.

e. To interact with the families of martyrs and share their grief.

3. Although the objectives of the event have started to appear in Armed Forces where complete personnel in uniform fully acknowledge the importance of this day and bow their heads in response to sacrifices made by their fellow men in the line of duty. However, like 6 September, which is celebrated each year at national level to remember the martyrs of 65 & 71 wars, 30 April too needs a broader space in national sepctrum. Since 9/11, this nation has lost more than 35000 people across the country in numerous terrorist attacks and more then 4000 personnal of law enforcement agencies have laid their lives in law enforcement operations. To make it an important day at national level, the civil society and complete population needs to be made aware of its significance through different means at national level. It will not only strengthen the resolve of the people of Pakistan to eradicate the menace of terrorism and extremism from their society but will also inculcate a sense of pride and belonging to those who are at the fore front of this struggle. It will be a befitting answer to all those misconceptions and rumors that are spread from time to time to malign this struggle and portray it as a foreign war. We need to remind our people that this war is being fought to safeguard our own sovereignty and security. People from all walks of life need to understand that the success of this effort is necessary to ensure a bright and prosperous future for our generations to come. This synergy of thinking and effort can only be achived through unified dedicated efforts of all echelons of the Government with the civil sector. Today, it is a humble beginning but there can be no doubt that it can be moulded into a national effort of powerful impact in the near future. The issue of a commemorative stamp on the occasion of Yaum-e-Shuhada 2012 will bring this event into the notice of a common man throughout the length and the breadth of Pakistan. It will pave the war for national recongnition of this day and a wide spread participation from all walks of life in years to come.

On the occasion of Yaum-e-Shuhada 2012, Pakistan Post is issuing a commemorative postage stamp of Rs.8/- denomination on April 30, 2012.

PAKISTAN 40TH ANNIVERSARY UNITED NATIONS UN ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME. (2012-12)

40th Anniversary of United Nations Environment Programme Commemorative Postage Stamps June 5, 2012:- Environmental issues in Pakistan threaten the population’s health and have been distributing the balance between economic development and environmental protection. As a great problem for the nature and nation of Pakistan and As Pakistan is a large importer of both exhaustible and renewable natural resources and a large consumer of fossil fuels, the Ministry of Environment of Government of Pakistan takes responsibility to conserve and protect the environment.

Conservation Efforts:- The government has expressed concern about environment threats to economic growth and social development and since the early 1990s, has addressed environmental concerns with new legislation and institutions such as a Pakistan Environment Protection Council. Yet, foreign lenders provide most environmental protection funds, and only 0.04 percent of the government’s development budget goes to environmental protection. Thus, the government’s ability to enforce environmental regulations is limited, and private industries often lack funds to meet environmental standards established by international trade organizations.

National Conservation Strategy (NCS):- The National Conservation strategy has three explicit objectives: (i) Conservation of natural resources, (ii) Promotion of sustainable development, (iii) Improvement of efficiency in the use and management of resources. It sees itself as a “call for action” addressed to central and provincial governments, businesses, and Non-governmental organization (NGOs), local communities, and individuals.

The National Conversation Strategy recommended fourteen programme areas for priority implementation: maintaining soils in croplands, increasing efficiency of irrigation, protecting watersheds, supporting forestry and plantations, restoring rangelands and improving livestock, protecting water bodies and sustaining fisheries, conserving biodiversity, increasing energy efficiency, developing and deploying renewable resources, preventing or decreasing pollution, managing urban wastes, supporting institutions to manage common resources, integrating population and environmental programs, and preserving the cultural heritage. Special attention has been paid to the potential roles of environmental NGO’s, women’s organizations, and international NGO’s in working with the government in its conservation efforts.

The average temperature in Pakistan had risen by 0.2 degrees in only 2 years, This is a dramatic change and puts emphasis on Climate Change Campaigns. In the 1980s World Wildlife Fund (WWF), United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) and  International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)-World Conservation Union collaborated to formulate the World Conservation Strategy to ‘save the world’. After IUCN started its work in Pakistan. The government and IUCN worked to formulate the National Conservation Strategy for Pakistan over a three-year period. The NCS is a plan to integrate environmental concerns into Pakistan’s economy. The implementation of the strategy started with the formation of institutions such as the Environmental Section in the Federal Planning and Development Division and the Sustainable Development Policy Institute.

Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD):- Pakistan ratified this convention in 1992 with 161 nations at the Earth Summit at Rio. Consequently, Pakistan became a contributor and beneficiary to the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) set up under the convention. It is also taking initiatives in community level projects to conserve biodiversity.

Ghazi-Barotha Hydropower Project:- The project has the capacity to produce 1,450 mw of electricity. With this project, the Water and Power Department for the first time took efforts to study the environment and to include environmental considerations.

UN Convention on Combating Destrification (CCD):- This is an international treaty for collaborative action against damage and poverty in drylands. Pakistan signed this in 1997 and is in the process of developing its National Action Plan to fight desertification, which afflicts about 45 million hectares. A local NGO, Society for Conservation and Protection of Environment (SCOPE) is active in this area.

Shehla Zia Case:- This was a case filed against WAPDA to halt the construction of a grid station near a residential area. The judgment given was in favour of the citizens and became a landmark decision in the field of environmental law in the country. This case set the precedent for subsequent environmental cases.

Maintaining Biodiversity With Rural Community Development:- IUCN – Pakistan and the Government of NWFP’s Wildlife Department jointly implement this project. Rural communities are active partners in this project and over 40 villages were involved in the first two years.

Sarhad Provincial Conservation Strategy (SPCS):- In 1996, the Government of NWFP approached IUCN to formulate and implement the SPCS. This was the principal plan to implement the National Conservation Strategy. The strategy has spurred the governments of Baluchistan and the Northern Areas to emulate this move.

Pakistan Environmental Protection Bill 1997 (PEPA):- PEPA supplements the 1983 Environmental Protection Ordinance with more functions for the Environmental Protection Agencies, and new laws dealing with pollution. It also rationalizes the Environmental Protection Council.

Year 2012 is the United Nations Environment Programmes’ (UNEP) 40th Anniversary. This marks four decades of service and achievements, which have assisted in catalyzing and evolving the environment as an integrated aspect of sustainable development vital for the social progress of now 7 billion people.

This is reflects in the logo slogan-“Serving People and the Planet”. The key to this message is that UNEP has not only been concerned with the conservation and more intelligent management of the planet but, just as important, serving its inhabitants.

On 40th Anniversary of United Nations Environment Programme, Pakistan Post is issuing a set of four Commemorative Postage Stamps each denomination of Rs.8/- on June 5, 2012.