Pakistan Post restores international outbound mail to 188 destinations

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Post has restarted booking for international outbound mail to 188 destinations with immediate effect, according to a circular issued by Additional Director General Maqsood Ahmed.

The service had been suspended because of the Middle East war that followed the US-Israel attack on Iran. The United States and Israel launched what they described as a “pre-emptive” joint strike against Iranian targets on Feb 28.

According to the circular, Pakistan Post has put in place arrangements with seven international transit hubs to facilitate the movement of mail originating from Pakistan.

These hubs include Azerpost through Baku, Emirates Post through Dubai, Post Malaysia through Kuala Lumpur, Turkish Post through Istanbul, Post NL through Amsterdam, Australia Post through Sydney, and China Post through Beijing.

The circular also said direct flight connectivity through Pakistan International Airlines is available for some destinations where outbound international mail services have now resumed.

Some destinations remain suspended

Despite the broader restoration of services, booking is still suspended for 19 destinations. These include Afghanistan, Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, India, Kuwait, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, and Yemen.

Pakistan Post said services to these countries would be restored gradually.

The resumption marks a significant restoration of overseas postal operations after the disruption caused by the regional conflict. The latest arrangements indicate that Pakistan Post is relying on a mix of international transit partners and direct flight links to move outbound mail to destinations where service has been reopened.

The circular did not indicate a timeline for the reopening of services to the remaining suspended destinations, but stated that the process would take place in phases.

With the latest decision, customers can once again book international outbound mail for a large number of countries, while restrictions remain in place for a smaller group of destinations affected by the continuing suspension.