Pakistan Post Office's public warning
Citizens have raised a great amount of concern on the Notice issued by Pakistan Postal Department which ‘warns any individual / agency / institution / organization against sending any letter through any means other than through the Post Office, as this would be against the Post Office Act of 1898’.
The notice states that ‘any item falling in the category of letter mail can not be accepted / transmitted / delivered by any other agency including cargo services or cargo service being operated by the airlines / owner of the transport companies. Any contravention attracts penal action’.
A member of the Consumer Protection Council pointed out the vague interpretation of the word ‘letter’. According to the notice it is any communication sent in writing, print or type. This is extremely broad and widely open to misuse. Would this mean also that any message sent by e-mail through the Internet or Fax would also violate the Post Office Act and be liable for punishment? he wondered.
Strongly criticizing the notice a representative of a Courier Company remarked that instead of improving the basic infrastructure and facilities to the citizens, the Post Office wants to enforce antiquated Laws, which will make life even more difficult for the public. As it is, people from all walks of life are using the services of generators to provide electricity, mobile phones as a substitute for fixed phones, security agencies to provide security, so why not courier services for quick and reliable communication?.
A spokesman of the business community termed the costly ‘facilities’ of the Post office which are in fact a burden on the already stretched pockets of the people, yet we are willing to spend on them for peace of mind and basic comforts of life.
The Consumer Protection Council of the Helpline Trust has urged the Ministry of Communication to examine this Law under the present circumstances and to amend it to be more practical and realistic. In this way it would not disrupt a facility, which is being used extensively by the Government itself and the private sector alike.
