| |
Republic within the
British Commonwealth,
formerly part of India,
which has issued its own
stamps since gaining
independence in 1947.
The country was
constituted a dominion
under the Indian
Independence Act of 1947
and consists of former
British India
territories which had a
pre-dominantly Moslem
population. The Punjab
states of Bahawalpur and
Khairpur, with Moslem
rulers and a population
almost 80 per cent
Moslem, acceded to
Pakistan in October
1947. The Baluchistan
states of Kalat, Mekran,
Las Bela and Kharan and
the north-west frontier
states of Chitral, Amb,
Dir and Swat joined
Pakistan also. The
states of Junagadh and
Manavador, Jammu and
Kashmir, acceded to
Pakistan but were
occupied by Indian
forces at the end of
1947 and possession of
Jammu and Kashmir has
been a source of
friction between India
and Pakistan ever since.
Karachi was the capital
of Pakistan until August
1960 when the capital
was transferred to
Rawalpindi.
At the time of
independence Indian
stamps were in use in
Pakistan, but on October
1, 1947, the
contemporary Indian
definitive series, from
3 pies to 25 rupees was
released over-printed
PAKISTAN. The over-print
was applied by
offset-lithography at
the Nasik Security
Press. The Ir
denomination is known
with the overprint
omitted in pair with a
normal stamp or with the
overprint inverted.
Indian stamps without
overprint could be
handed in at post
offices and exchanged
for the overprinted
definitive series.
Owing to distribution
difficulties, the state
presses of Lahore,
Peshawar, Karachi and
Dacca were authorized to
produce typeset
provisional overprints,
which can be
distinguished from the
Nasik versions by the
light and oily
appearance of the ink
and faulty positioning.
Further distribution
problems resulted in
authorized local
overprints, hand struck
by steel or rubber hand
stamps. Numerous types
and varieties of
overprint are known,
applied in various
colors. Stamps with
typewritten overprints
are known to exist also.
Pakistan's first
distinctive stamps
appeared on July 9,
1948, to celebrate
independence. The stamps
consisted of 1½ , 2½
and 3 anna and Ir
denominations featuring
the Constituent Assembly
Building, the entrance
to Karachi Airport, the
gateway to Lahore Fort
and a crescent and
stars, respectively.
These stamps were
recess-printed by De La
Rue's subsidiary company
in Rangoon and all four
stamps bore the date of
independence, 15 AUG.
1947.
|
|
