Post Office - The Still Have Room

The Cabinet has decided that all utility bills now be received by all post offices throughout the country. Really a good step. So it also means the government has after all accepted the naked fact that as much it directs commercial banks to expand and facilitate utility bills payment the more are commercial banks showing their lethargy.

An Islamabad citizen Basheer Ali has very timely suggested that Cabinet should also direct Post Offices to accept traffic violation fines. It is really a good suggestion.

Apart from General Post Offices (GPOs) and Delivery Zone Post Office which are in big cities and towns only, 80% post offices officially designated as Sub Post Offices comprise two man staff namely senior clerk called Asstt. Sub Post Office and a junior clerk. At some post office there is also a lower grade staff called packer. These two or three man staff house in one single rent room, with one dingy bulb, two old age chairs, one table. This staff do sale of stamps, envelopes, booking of money orders, VPs, parcels, registered letters, parcels, driving licences, arms licences, zakat coupons distributions, sale of national identity cards. At their dark room office they are also to keep safe for continuous three years used match boxes for audit purpose. In foreign country in air conditioned post offices one man do only one job namely one who sells postage stamps would never do booking of registered letters.

Our governments are always ready to more burden those sections of the nation which can effectively raise no voice by imposing and increasing taxes.

May I also propose that Pakistan Post Office should also accept payments of school fees, university examinations fees, passport fees, court fees, booking of railway tickets, payment of newspapers monthly subscriptions, issuance of court/affidavit papers, etc. These sub post offices still have much elacity to bear this new burden silently.

Re: Post Office - The Still Have Room

Few months back when I complained about the corruption of Pakistani Post office in Pakistani newspapers and on these pages of Gupshup, some of my brothers and sisters jumped on me and put on guard defending corrupt Pakistani post office staff. I do not want to repeat that bitter tase but want to tell that the gig is still down and Post Office staff continue to embazzle expatriate's packets and mails sent to Pakistan or otherwise.

I have the opportunity to copy a most recent letter from London, published on the News Karachi, Letters to the Editor column:

I quote:

What is wrong with our society

About two months ago, I sent some medicines to my brother in Sialkot, Pakistan via post office. Sadly, those medicines were very urgent and life saving for my brother to take, but after 4 weeks later, I was informed 'the medicines yet to arrive." I immediately made inquiry with British Postal authorities and was told the parcel was forwarded to Pakistan next day. It is now almost 2 months since the medicines were sent.

Everybody in UK having connection with Pakistan have some grievances with Pakistan Postal Authorities. Everybody, whom you talk to about it has his/her own story to tell. Why? What is wrong with our society, don't we have humanity and sympathy for sick and old? It has been widely believed that anything you send to Pakistan, postal worker steals them. If the so stolen goods were not good for them, it is sold in the market. How shameful is this, if it is true.

S. A. Choudhary
London

UNQUOTE.

SHAFIQ KHAN
CANADA

Re: Post Office - The Still Have Room

^^ if its not delivered then most probably a lazy postman dumped it or sold it to someone already.

two postmen were arrested once years back while dumping their bags with post in to River Ravi in Lahore.

Thats easy delivery. :)
some areas they deliver post at their will, they suppose to do it daily, but somehow they do it once a week or twice and use other days as holidays or to do other jobs.

because of this the private courier services are more reliable and fast, but they are limited to big cities only.

the only solution for Post Office to do better is go private and get rid of sorry and lazy work force.

its true the small post offices do take much in a single room, but in those areas postal volumes is also low. though they do need to be updated, the only way is to open franshises and give licenses to local shops to do common postal services.

I dont like GPO concept or centralizing everything in a big office. why not create more small post offices??

post offices in Pakistan also renew driving licenses, arms licenses, vehicle taxes, pensions, savings etc...

I am up for new and more services to be provided at post offices. and they should be run as business and services, only better way is to do it in private sector.
it will make is efficient

its wrong perception, at post office here in UK, one person do every thing that can be done in a post office and they are trained for that.

everyone do tickets, parcels, registered post, money orders/ transfer, money exchange, road/car taxes, banking, all bill payments.

its normal practice, people are free to pay bills at post office, or their banks.

but they should be properly staffed and equiped!!

Re: Post Office - The Still Have Room

10 fEBRUARY 2005

Thank you for your comments. I just a minute before read it and I am away from my home and my record. You are right a post man threw the mail in River ravi. As I told you I do not have access to record at the moment so I am unable to give you text and reference from a place which is very dear of course to you and people like borhter Shafiq Khan where three years mail was found being dumped in his own home by the post man and another example from a wonderful Gereman post office. i will find and INSHALLAH give you reference but it would need a week or so.

Re: Post Office - The Still Have Room

every society has some numbers of nasty people and hence into all companies / department.

Pakistan is more dearer to me than UK. i think we should accept our mistakes and try to improve it rather pointing these to others.

basic difference of service.
People here are ready for help and treat you well. any govt department in Pak treat people like $hit. and not very helpful at all.

I think you didnt like my idea to privatise the post office?
results can be seen by going to private and public banks in Pakistan. there is sea difference in level of service provided.

Re: Post Office - The Still Have Room

Brother Shafiq Khan,

Your reference to some letter appearing in The News of Karachi complaining someone sent Life Saving medicines in Parcel from London to Pakistan two months back and have not reached there. When sender enquired the British Post Office told the sender that the parcel was sent to Pakistan very next day.

Brother Shafiq Khan I am sure this must have given mental satisfaction to you as it is giving negative picture about Pakistan. Negative picture about Pakistan not merely Pakistan Post Office. Pakistan Post Office is not the best in the world but its working comparing with all other Pakistani public dealing Department in Pakistan is best. Pakistan Post Office also stands comparable with other postal systems of the world even with British postal system, Since I do not wish to waste time with people who had already made a picture of their own choice about Pakistan hence I avoid giving you references from international post union, from letters to editor from England’s newspapers, references about losing and stealing of postal articles from Indian postal system coming to knowledge through letters to editors there and Indian using words about their own post office.

The person who wrote the letter to The News and which you refer I am sure is of same mental condition as of you. My apologies, I am do not want to be personal but fact is a fat. That foolish fellow is telling lies. The first thing is no body in today’s world particularly who lives in societies like London and Canada is that foolish and Ahmaq that he would send LIFE SaVING drugs by a parcel. Parcels are mishandled every where. LIFE SAVING drugs are need urgently and immediately to save life and these are mostly in shape of injections, or liquids. Some of course are tables. But these definitely needed urgently whereas a Londoner and a Canadian definitely knows parcels take long. Such medicines and intricate things today world over are sent by couriers and different postal systems also have introduced such speedy courier type services including Pakistan and London. So people use this service. Your friend is telling lies that he sent in this parcel Life Savings Drugs. His lies are clear that after 4 weeks of sending the parcel he enquired from his relatives in Pakistan about receipt of parcel. If there had really been life saving medicines he must had enquired in 3-4 days and kept continue.

Brother Shafiq Khan, as your relatives sent you Parcel from Hyderabad/Pakistan and in your words it reached Canada in about 5-7 days. As you had a limited words to spare hence you appreciated Canadian post office completely forgetting it was Pakistan Post Office who efficiently and speedily dispatched your parcel from Pakistan and it was not Canadian postal staff who on knowing that your relatives have deposited a parcel for you went to Hyderabald .to fetch this parcel. The Parcels reached you Canada in 5-7 days but you were inefficient and lethargic not to inform timely your relatives in Pakistan about your changed address . They were your so closed and near ones that they sent you, in your own words, perishable goods (perhaps you also mentioned medicine) in the parcel. You started crying over delay in return delivery of parcel to your sender in Hyderabad but had no word to praise in the first instant that it was Pakistan Post Office who showed its efficiency in sending the parcel in the first instant speedily to Canada. Your eyes very quickly pick up letters/complaints as you referred above appearing in The News but your eyes and eyes of people like you become perhaps blind when in the same The News sometime in December a letter appeared from a Karachi resident appreciating Pakistan Post Office that despite 50% incomplete address on a letter addressed to him the postman searched him here and there and delivered the letter.

The writers of Letter to the Editor in The News must have been facing the same delima.

I once again repeat I am not favouring Pakistan Post Office nor do I want to say it is the best in the world but I wish to remain judicious and balanced. Theft of postal items, pilferage and loss of mail is an international phenemna and no postal system is free of it today. I have seen this practically while living abroad at different places and getting mail from world over when in the pastI was particularly in a Ministry abroad. Do not merely go to letters to editor columns but read official reports and surveys etc to get true knowledge. It is similar as pilferage, wrong destinations and loss of baggage is a growing problem all over the world and no airline is free of it, read the Federal Aviation reports.

Do not talk foolish that “every body” whom you meet abroad talks about same story namely “late delivery life saving medicine, theft of items from parcels”. Everyone does not send life saving medicines and everyone does not send parcel.

Every one is not dishonest in Pakistan as you in your previous used the words “apkistani nation is dishonest”. Do you include in this your relatives still in Pakistan in Hyderabad who sent you parcel or they are excluded because when you used the words “Pakistani nation” as a matter of fact they are also included.
Please shun your juiced eyes.

Re: Post Office - The Still Have Room

Sister Shahnaz,

Like you, me too do not want to be personal but would advise you take some therapy and seek counselling as you are seriously obsessed of your self-centered personality. Whatever you have written here, you have repeated one million times before in various papers. If Pakistan and Pakistani society could be improved by you being obstinate, carry on, I have no objection.
Lastly, I don't need a certificate from you for being patriot and compassionate Pakistani. Enjoy your stay outside the country.

SHAFIQ KHAN
CANADA

Re: Post Office - The Still Have Room

life saving drugs are not necessarily needed the next day, so shahnaz aunty a statement that no one sends life saving drugs by parcel is an invalid statement.

Some of these medicine are expensive, and are for chronic conditions, but are critical for the patient. It is not always affordable to send them via DHL, and one has to trust that other services would be professional like courier services and deliver the parcel in a timely manner. Fine postal service can not deliver it in 3 days, thats fine..maybe i dont need for it to get there in 3 days maybe 2 week is okay, but lets get it there.

The fact remains Pakistan Postal Service is mediocre at best. Lets not defend them and justify the ills of that institute.

Re: Post Office - The Still Have Room

PAK ORG POST OFFICE

I am a new comer on this forum recently registered. I came to this site in list of Pakistanis site found on a search engine. The variety of topics I liked and applied for membership. My membership was accepted, Thanks to the webmaster. I found discussion on this topic mainly between two members shahnazpk and shafiq. I enjoyed their argument. Both have strong and good arguments. I am sure this is just discussion and exchange of ideas on one topic without any heart feelings. But on balance I found myself inclined towards shahnazpk. The reason is he or she has given some old reference and a very convincing logical reference to which Shafiq is avoiding for obvious reason. I am not aware of old references or article because I am new. But shahnazpk has given reference that a parcel from Pakistan went to Canada to Shafiq and it reached there very quickly, so who sent it quickly? Did Pakistani post sent or Candian post came to collect it from Pakistan. So my point is as far as debating and convincing type arguments are those have weight which are from shahnazpk. But I do not fully agree with him/her that Pakistan post is as efficient as he/she says. Reading his/her argument of course increased my knowledge and angle like international postal union reference, stealing of article world over etc. Both shahnazpk and shafiq are fine but I do not agree to unpleasant words of shafiq and that shahnazpk needs medical test of his/her head. This is unwanted and if really this is wanted then someone else needs his head examined not shahnazpk. The arguments in such debates should be cool and not sentimental as shafiq using word head examination. On 1.3.2005 a letter from a Lahore recient Sadia Khan appeared on the subject Foreign Experts. She says one is sick and tired of Pakistanis who have left home and hearth to settle abroad and yet find time to analyse, criticize and ridicule developments at home and particularly tiresome are based n the US who find fault with almost everything that is happening in Pakistan at the same time have neither the courage nor the will to analyse what is happening to their kinsmen in America. Then she narrates it. If idea of examination of mind is really of his own then this letter of DAWN fits on Shafiq. Thank you Pak Org keep on discussion section but try to censor uncivilized and low level personal remarks given by some members on writers, leaders or rulers or religious leaders. All these are supposed to be with dignity. Thank you

Re: Post Office - The Still Have Room

welcome anjash!