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PAKISTAN 1947 - 1957
First published in 34 parts in the issues # 18 to 52, except # 26, of the Stamps
of India Collectors Companion in its Research Notes segment.
Most of the writings in the Research Notes segment are the first time
publication of the Segment Coordinator, Manohar Lal’s painstaking research
conducted over ten years, full time, at National Archives of India and other
institutions since his retirement as Chief Engineer of Northern Railways. He has
published two books and several articles. He won Gold medal with Felicitations
of the Jury for his exhibit Postal History of Indian Army 1914-1922 at London in
1990 as well as for his exhibit Postal stationery of India 1855-1947 at New
Delhi in 1997.
Following is gleaned primarily from the Civil & Military Gazette, and Dawn
published from Lahore and Karachi respectively from the microfilms available at
the Nehru Memorial Library, New Delhi
1947
LAHORE – CALCUTTA DAILY AIR SERVICE
April 20, 1947: Indian National Airways announce that from April 23, 1947 they
will extend to Lahore their daily Viking “East Indian” service now operating non
stop between Delhi and Calcutta. The schedule of the new operation is as
follows:
Departure Lahore 6.00 – Arrival Delhi 7.30 Departure 8.30, Arrival Calcutta
12.15
Departure Calcutta 13.00 – Arrival Delhi 17.00 Departure 17.30, Arrival Lahore
19.00
HYDERABAD – BANGALORE AIR MAIL SERVICE
April 27, 1947: The Deccan Airways Ltd. are now operating a thrice-weekly air
mail service between Hyderabad (Deccan) and Bangalore. The service leaves
Hyderabad in the afternoon of every Tuesday and Thursday and Leaves Bangalore on
every Wednesday and Friday in the morning.
This service provides an immediate connection at Hyderabad with the Delhi –
Madras airmail service run by the same company.
Surcharged inland airmail correspondence can be sent by this service at the same
rates and under the same conditions as are applicable to inland airmail
correspondence generally.
INDIAN NATIONAL AIRWAYS – NEW KARACHI – CALCUTTA SERVICE
May 20, 1947, Karachi: Indian National Airways will be operating “Vikings” with
24-passenger capacity between Karachi and Calcutta next month. The new aircraft
will have a cruising speed of 220 miles an hour and will reach Calcutta the same
day.
DALMIA AIRWAYS TO OPERATE BETWEEN CALCUTTA & SRINAGAR
July 17, 1947, Srinagar: The Kashmir Government has granted permission to Dalmia
Airways to operate a bi-weekly chartered air service between Srinagar and
Calcutta through Delhi. The service will begin towards the end of this month.
ORIENT AIRWAYS LIMITED
Announcing of our Daily service connecting India with Rangoon via Akyab from
June 30, 1947
MADRAS – COCHIN AIR SERVICE
July 29, 1947, Ernakulam: From August 1, 1947 the present air service between
Cochin and Madras will be increased from five to six times a week and from
October 1, 1947 next there will be daily service with an additional halt at
Coimbatore, according to N B Menon of Tata Airlines who arrived here after
making necessary arrangements at Trivandrum.
INDIA POSTAGE STAMPS TO BE RECOGNISED IN BOTH DOMINIONS TILL OCTOBER 1, 1947
August 12, 1947, New Delhi: The existing postage rates are to continue to
operate in both Dominions between the transfer of power on August 15, 1947 and
March 31, 1948, says a Press Communiqué.
During this period, the exchange of postal traffic will also be governed by the
arrangement that exist today. There will also be no restriction on the sale of
Indian Postal orders, National Savings Certificates or on the issue of Money
Orders or the booking of Registered and Insured mail of V P P articles.
India Postage Stamps will be recognized in both Dominions till October 1, 1947.
With effect from October 1, 1947, arrangements will be made to establish
appropriate offices of exchange at border towns through which all accountable
articles like money orders, registered and insured articles and value payable
parcels and articles will pass, the exchange being on International or Empire
basis.
AIR ROUTES TO BE RE-DIVDED
August 21, Karachi: With the partition of the country all air contracts between
the Government of India and other parties concerned have lapsed, it is learnt.
All air route will be re-divided in the near future. The Oriental Air Service is
contemplating a non-stop daily air service between Dacca and Karachi to link the
capitals of Eastern Pakistan with the center.
AMRITSAR TO BE INCLUDED IN INDIAN NATIONAL AIRWAYS DELHI-LAHORE SERVICE
The Indian National Airways have decided to include Amritsar in their daily
service between Delhi and Lahore with effect from August 31, 1947
DESPATCH AIR MAIL ARTICLES
August 30, 1947, New Delhi: All air services that are being run to Lahore
Rawalpindi, Amritsar and Srinagar for evacuation purpose will be utilized for
the dispatch of air mail articles to these places, says a Press Note. Letters
should bear the usual blue airmail label and extra postage to cover airmail
charges.
ADVERTISEMENT - INDIAN NATIONAL AIRWAYS
September 9, 1947: An announcement. Indian National Airways are now operating
the following services:
1. Three daily services between Delhi and Lahore in either direction.
2. Daily service between Delhi and Rawalpindi in either direction.
3. Daily service between Delhi and Karachi in either direction.
4. Daily service between Delhi and Calcutta in either direction.
MADRAS – BOMBAY AIR SERVICE SUSPENDED
September 10, 1947, Madras: The non-stop air service between Madras and Bombay
has been suspended until further notice.
DELHI – AMRITSAR AIR SERVICE NOT FUNTIONING
September 12, 1947, Amritsar: Owing to the communal disturbances in Delhi there
has been no air service between Delhi and Amritsar for the past three days.
About 10 days ago a twice-daily service was started by the Bharat Airways and it
received heavy bookings. No planes have arrived here since September 8, 1947.
MADRAS – DELHI THROUGH AIR SERVICE RESUMED
September 13, 1947, Madras: The Madras – Delhi through air service has been
resumed since Thursday (September 12, 1947) as the situation in Delhi has
improved.
INA RESUMES ITS DELHI – LAHORE SERVICE
After nearly eight days’ break the INA resumed its Delhi – Lahore service from
Monday (September 15, 1947). For the present there will be one service daily,
but as soon as conditions improve and circumstances allow, they will start
functioning normally and two aircrafts will leave daily.
JAIPUR ON INDIA’S AIR MAP
Jaipur: The Jaipur Publicity Officer announces that Jaipur has been placed on
India’s air map. Air India included Jaipur as a halting place in its Bombay –
Delhi afternoon service as from September 8.
LETTER MAILS CONVYED BY AIRCRAFT –
DELHI – AMBALA, JULLUNDUR AND AMRITSAR SERVED
September 24, 1947, Ambala: The Postmaster General, East Punjab Circle, Mr
Grant, yesterday said that in view of the cancellation of all regular train
sevices on the East Punjab Railway letter mails were being carried by air from
and to Delhi, Ambala, Jullundur and Amritsar.
Airmail letters were being given preference. As yet there was no arrangement for
mails from places not accessible by air services.
TRI-WEEKLY SERVICE BETWEEN KARACHI AND DACCA
September 25, 1947, Calcutta: Orient Airways announce that the government of
Pakistan have now given them permission to operate a tri-weekly mail and
passenger air service in both directions between Karachi and Dacca.
The new air route which will commence operation at the beginning of October,
will establish link between Eastern and Western Pakistan. DC 3 aircraft will be
assigned to fly the route in approximately 10 times and from December a new
fleet of Convair lines having a speed of 300 mph will be used.
Orient airways will also run two other inland air routes carrying passengers and
mails, one from Karachi to Peshawar via Quetta, Lahore and Rawalpindi and the
other from Calcutta to Chittagong via Dacca and Sylhat. Services come into
operation from next month.
ORIENT AIRWAYS LIMITED
Have the pleasure in announcing the commencement of the following services with
effect from October 3, 1947:
1. KARACHI – DELHI – DACCA – CALCUTTA
(Thrice a week – Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and Return journey Mondays,
Wednesdays and Fridays)
2. KARACHI – LAHORE – RAWALPINDI – PESHAWAR
(Twice weekly – Mondays and Thursdays and Return journeys Tuesdays and Fridays)
3. KARACHI – QUETTA – LAHORE
(Thrice weekly – Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays and Return journey Thursdays,
Saturdays and Mondays)
LAHORE – KARACHI AIR SERVICE
Lahore has been linked by air with Karachi, the capital of the Pakistan
Dominion. Orient Airways inaugurated five services a week between Karachi and
Lahore with effect from Otover 1947. This service will continue to Rawalpindi
and Peshawar twice a week.
TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF AIRMAILS
October 31, 1947, Bombay: Due to the requisition of private company aircraft by
the Government of India, the carriage of inland mails by air except for places
situated on the Bombay – Karachi, Bombay – Delhi and Bombay – Calcutta routes,
have been temporarily suspended.
MISTRI AIRWAYS ANSWER INDIA’S CALL FOR PLANES
October 31, 1947, Bombay: Six Dakotas have been flown to Delhi in response to
the call of the Government of India by the Mistry Airways. As a result, the
airways had to suspend their regular service between Bombay and Calcutta.
ISSUE OF NEW PAKISTAN STAMPS FROM DECEMBER 1, 1947
November 5, 1947: It is learnt from the office of the Postmaster General, Lahore
that the Pakistan Government will issue its own stamps and embossed stationery
from December 1, writes a “Civil and Military Gazette’ reporter.
Due to certain unavoidable delays the Government had to post pone the
circulation which had originally been scheduled from November 1, 1947, from the
central office of issue at Nasik. Since October 1 the Government has set into
circulation postage stamps overprinted with “PAKISTAN’. It is understood that
mail which bears “INDIA GOVERNMENT” postage stamps without a “PAKISTAN”
overprint will not be accepted at any post office.
The issue of airmail letter cards and embossed stationery for European and
elsewhere overseas will remain as before the change over up till December 1,
1947, after which date the existing cards and envelopes etc., will not be valid.
REFUGEE RELIEF STAMPS
November 5, 19477, Karachi, “The Refugee Relief Stamps” valued at one anna each
will shortly be issued and the proceeds of its sale will be contributed to the
Quid-e-Azam’s Relief Fund said a Press Note issued by the Ministry of
Communications, Government of Pakistan.
This decision has been taken by the Ministry of Communications in consultation
with the Quid-e-Azam’s Relief Fund Committee.
These stamps will not be used as postal stamps, but may be used in addition to
the ordinary postage for purpose of publicity.
INDIAN AIR LETTER STATIONERY STILL “CURRENT” IN PAKISTAN
Indian air letter forms and similar postal stationery will continue to be
“current” in Pakistan until arrangements are completed for their replacement by
new Pakistan forms or by overprints of existing one.
This was learned by inquiries from the Lahore GPO on Monday, when an official
spokesman said that it was hoped to time the change over for January 1, 1948,
but the actual date would depend on the availability of supplies of the new
Pakistan stationery.
TWELVER AIR SERVICES
December 1, 1947, New Delhi: The Communications Minister, Mr. Rafi Ahmed Kidwai
told that the Government of India have agreed to the operation by a Pakistan
airline of services on the following routes:
(1) Karachi – Delhi (2) Dacca – Delhi (3) Karachi – Bombay (4) Chittagong –
Calcutta (5) Dacca – Calcutta
In return the Pakistan Government had agreed to the operation of air services on
the following route by various Indian airlines:
(1)Jodhpur – Karachi (2) Bombay – Karachi (3) Ahmedabad – Bombay (4) Bhuj –
Karach (5) Delhi – Lahore (6) Calcutta – Dacca (7) Calcutta – Chittagong
The arrangement is provisional subject to the conclusion of a bilateral air
transport agreement between the two Governments by December 31, 1947. The terms
of a long-term bilateral air transport agreement between the two countries were
under examination.
SALE OF PAKISTAN POSTAL STATIONERY
Postal stationery overprinted PAKISTAN will be on sale at the GPO Lahore and its
town sub offices on December 21, 1947 instead of in January 1948 as mentioned
earlier.
Indian postal stationery will be exchangeable for Pakistan stationery on
weekdays up to March 20, 1948.
BENARES TO BE AIR LINKED WITH LUCHNOW
December 16, 1947, Benares: From January next year Benares will be linked with
Lucknow and Patna by air. The Bharat Airways Ltd. are arranging to run one of
their Delhi – Calcutta air service via Lucknow, Benares and Patna.
INDIA TAKES OVER KASHMIR P& T SERVICES
October 31, 1947, New Delhi: The Kashmir post and telegraph services have been
taken over by the Indian Posts and Telegraphs Department and Mr. Harish Chandra,
Deputy Postmaster General and Mr. Floyd, his technical adviser on telegraphic
matters arrived at Srinagar by air on October 28.
The work of establishing normal postal and telegraphic communications between
India and Kashmir is being pushed through with all speed and all first class
mails for the Kashmir and Jammu state are to be routed via Delhi, from where
they will be flown by air to Srinagar. …..
1948 | 1949 |
1950 | 1951 |
1952 | 1953 |
1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957
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