Wetlands Of Pakistan. The Arabian Sea Coral Reefs. (2012-20)

Wetlands of Pakistan The Arabian Sea Coral Reefs Commemorative Postage Stamps October 4, 2012:- Coral Reef Discovery Along Makran Coast, (Arabian Sea) Pakistan:- Coral Reefs are the “Rainforests” of the ocean. Reefs are ecologically important ecosystems and have a high biodiversity that serves as a storage bank of rich genetic resources. They are a source of food and medicine, and they protect the coast from wave erosion. Scientists have found an abundance of compounds to help fight heart disease, asthma, cancer, HIV and more.

Coral reefs are structure made of limestone deposited by living organisms. Although thousands of species inhabit coral reefs, however, only a fraction production produces the limestone that build the reef. The most important reef building organisms are the corals. Although there are hundreds of different species of corals but in general they are classified as either hard or soft coral. Hard corals (hermatypic) grow in colonies and are the architects of coral reefs.

Coral reefs are one of the oldest environments on earth. Most of the existing reefs have been growing from over 5,000 years.

There are three basic kinds of coral reefs: fringing reefs, barrier reefs, and atolls. Fringing reefs grow in shallow waters close to the coast. Barrier reefs are separated from land by lagoon, growing parallel to the coast and forming a large and continuous reef. Atolls are ring-shaped reefs that develop near the sea surface on underwater islands or island that sink, or subside.

Coral reefs are vital to coastal fisheries. It provide spawning, nursery, refuge and feeding areas for a large variety of organisms, including economically important crustaceans (e.g. shrimps, spiny lobsters and crabs).

A field mission of the Pakistan Wetlands Programme (PWP), lead by coral expert from Millport University, UK, indentified the first ever coral reef ecosystem near the Astola Island. Before this discovery it was blindly believed that coral reefs are not existed in Pakistan’s jurisdiction of the Arabian Sea.

The basis of information collected about coral reef associated fish species from the fishing areas near Gwader, an expedition team encompassing divers from PWP and Pakistan Navy conducted a survey of the possible coral sites in 2011 and discovered large area of deep sea coral near Gwader. This underwater survey was conducted in five sites in Gwader along the Arabian Sea. The most significant sites were: Cher Koh, Baladi Koh and Ganjabad. The coral colonies occurring at the Cher Koh, Baladi Koh and Ganjabad are mostly in growing stage and present a healthy condition.

Coral cannot survive it the water temperature is too high. Global warming has already led to increase levels of coral bleaching and this is predicated to increase in requency and severity in the coming decades. Adverse affects of this phenomenon cannot be avoided in terms of reefs ecosystems along Makran Coast.

On Wetlands of Pakistan (The Arabian Sea Coral Reefs), Pakistan Post is issuing a set of four commemorative postage stamps each denomination of Rs.8/- on October 4, 2012.

GOLDEN JUBILEE AYUB BRIDGE 1962-2012 (2012- 13)

Golden Jubilee of Ayub Bridge Commemorative Postage Stamp June 15, 2012:- The bridge was designed by Dr. D.B Steinman of New York and it was constructed by Doman Long Ltd (German) in association with M.S Gammon Construction Ltd. (Pakistan. Construction of Ayub Bridge was commenced on November 26, 1959 and completed on March 17, 1962. Total cost of the bridge at the time of construction was 21.6 million Pak rupees. The bridge was inaugurated by the then President of Pakistan, Field Marshal Muhammad Ayub Khan and opened for Rail traffic on May 6, 1962.

This is Steel Arch Suspension Bridge. The height of Crown of arch above bearing is 204.7 feet. The quantities of steel, High Tensile steel and Mild steel are respectively 131 tons, 1002 tons (main chord) and 1907 ton (rest of the portion of bridge). Span of the bridge is 806 feet and 9 inches.

The road over the Sukkur barrage involving a distance of 13 kilometers betweenSukkur and Rohri Railway Station remained the only road connection between Sukkur and Rohri. It was decided to utilize the Lansdowne Bridge for road traffic by providing a roadway. The work was started on December 16, 1963 and completed on June 10, 1964. By opening of roadway the distance for the road taffic between Sukkur and Rohri was reduced to 5 kilometers as against 13 kilometers over the Sukkur Barrage. Lansdowne Bridgte was a road bridge and it is still in working condition having full functional capacity. There is a beautiful Hindu sacred shrine in downstream of this bridge with a graceful Army Restoration.

It has a proper decking for Army purposes. It may serve as a road bridge as well as an emergency bridge during war time. Even the heaviest vehicle like Tanks can also easily cross over this bridge. It is truly called as the masterpiece of Railway Engineers.

There was no such engineered arch at that time in Asia, when this arch of 800 meters was buils in 1962. Even today as it stands, has the third largest arch’s position in Asia. Ayub Bridge has been constructed with the help of such a fine and best quality material that it still stands in its original state. While coming from Lahore to Rohri, this gigantic bridge can be easily seen from a distance of 04 kilometers.

On the Golden Jubilee of Ayub Bridge, Pakistan Post is issuing a commemorative postage stamp of Rs.8/- denomination on June 15, 2012.

L68- PAKISTAN 40TH ANNIVERSARY UNITED NATIONS UN ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME. (2012-12)

40th Anniversary of United Nations Environment Programme Commemorative Postage Stamps June 5, 2012:- Environmental issues in Pakistan threaten the population’s health and have been distributing the balance between economic development and environmental protection. As a great problem for the nature and nation of Pakistan and As Pakistan is a large importer of both exhaustible and renewable natural resources and a large consumer of fossil fuels, the Ministry of Environment of Government of Pakistan takes responsibility to conserve and protect the environment.

Conservation Efforts:- The government has expressed concern about environment threats to economic growth and social development and since the early 1990s, has addressed environmental concerns with new legislation and institutions such as a Pakistan Environment Protection Council. Yet, foreign lenders provide most environmental protection funds, and only 0.04 percent of the government’s development budget goes to environmental protection. Thus, the government’s ability to enforce environmental regulations is limited, and private industries often lack funds to meet environmental standards established by international trade organizations.

National Conservation Strategy (NCS):- The National Conservation strategy has three explicit objectives: (i) Conservation of natural resources, (ii) Promotion of sustainable development, (iii) Improvement of efficiency in the use and management of resources. It sees itself as a “call for action” addressed to central and provincial governments, businesses, and Non-governmental organization (NGOs), local communities, and individuals.

The National Conversation Strategy recommended fourteen programme areas for priority implementation: maintaining soils in croplands, increasing efficiency of irrigation, protecting watersheds, supporting forestry and plantations, restoring rangelands and improving livestock, protecting water bodies and sustaining fisheries, conserving biodiversity, increasing energy efficiency, developing and deploying renewable resources, preventing or decreasing pollution, managing urban wastes, supporting institutions to manage common resources, integrating population and environmental programs, and preserving the cultural heritage. Special attention has been paid to the potential roles of environmental NGO’s, women’s organizations, and international NGO’s in working with the government in its conservation efforts.

The average temperature in Pakistan had risen by 0.2 degrees in only 2 years, This is a dramatic change and puts emphasis on Climate Change Campaigns. In the 1980s World Wildlife Fund (WWF), United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) and  International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)-World Conservation Union collaborated to formulate the World Conservation Strategy to ‘save the world’. After IUCN started its work in Pakistan. The government and IUCN worked to formulate the National Conservation Strategy for Pakistan over a three-year period. The NCS is a plan to integrate environmental concerns into Pakistan’s economy. The implementation of the strategy started with the formation of institutions such as the Environmental Section in the Federal Planning and Development Division and the Sustainable Development Policy Institute.

Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD):- Pakistan ratified this convention in 1992 with 161 nations at the Earth Summit at Rio. Consequently, Pakistan became a contributor and beneficiary to the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) set up under the convention. It is also taking initiatives in community level projects to conserve biodiversity.

Ghazi-Barotha Hydropower Project:- The project has the capacity to produce 1,450 mw of electricity. With this project, the Water and Power Department for the first time took efforts to study the environment and to include environmental considerations.

UN Convention on Combating Destrification (CCD):- This is an international treaty for collaborative action against damage and poverty in drylands. Pakistan signed this in 1997 and is in the process of developing its National Action Plan to fight desertification, which afflicts about 45 million hectares. A local NGO, Society for Conservation and Protection of Environment (SCOPE) is active in this area.

Shehla Zia Case:- This was a case filed against WAPDA to halt the construction of a grid station near a residential area. The judgment given was in favour of the citizens and became a landmark decision in the field of environmental law in the country. This case set the precedent for subsequent environmental cases.

Maintaining Biodiversity With Rural Community Development:- IUCN – Pakistan and the Government of NWFP’s Wildlife Department jointly implement this project. Rural communities are active partners in this project and over 40 villages were involved in the first two years.

Sarhad Provincial Conservation Strategy (SPCS):- In 1996, the Government of NWFP approached IUCN to formulate and implement the SPCS. This was the principal plan to implement the National Conservation Strategy. The strategy has spurred the governments of Baluchistan and the Northern Areas to emulate this move.

Pakistan Environmental Protection Bill 1997 (PEPA):- PEPA supplements the 1983 Environmental Protection Ordinance with more functions for the Environmental Protection Agencies, and new laws dealing with pollution. It also rationalizes the Environmental Protection Council.

Year 2012 is the United Nations Environment Programmes’ (UNEP) 40th Anniversary. This marks four decades of service and achievements, which have assisted in catalyzing and evolving the environment as an integrated aspect of sustainable development vital for the social progress of now 7 billion people.

This is reflects in the logo slogan-“Serving People and the Planet”. The key to this message is that UNEP has not only been concerned with the conservation and more intelligent management of the planet but, just as important, serving its inhabitants.

On 40th Anniversary of United Nations Environment Programme, Pakistan Post is issuing a set of four Commemorative Postage Stamps each denomination of Rs.8/- on June 5, 2012.

L74c- Pakistan Karachi Stamp Exhibition 2012. (2012-14)

EID CELEBRATION (2012-15)

Special Postage Stamps on The Eve of Eid Celebration August 13, 2012:- Eid-ul-Fitr is the most important festival in the Islamic Calendar. This festival is the Culminating point of the Holy month of Ramzan, during which Quran-ul-Hakeem and Laila-tul-Qadar (Night of Grandeur) were gifted to the Muslim Ummah. While fasting teaches us self-discipline and provides us moral and spiritual blessings, Eid-ul-Fitr marks the end of the fasting and brings the message of collective merry-making as well as sharing our good fortune with the less fortune in our fraternity.

The entire Muslim Ummah celebrates this most auspicious festival in every nook and corner of the world with great spiritual devotion, offering Eid prayers in Eidgahs, mosques or open spaces in towns and cities. The Eid prayer is the climax of this grand festival. One can see during this special congregation endless sight of row upon row of the faithful spread across the open air Eidgahs, a supreme manifestation of Muslim fraternity and equality of mankind.

After Eid prayers, the Muslims embrace and greet other fellow Muslims and pay visits to graveyards to pray for the departed souls. This sufficiently indicates that Islam is the religion of peace, friendship and aspires to promote universal brotherhood. Special sweet dishes are prepared and served to friends, relatives and other visitors. The young folk wear bright costumes and enjoy themselves with various types of entertainments on Eid day including a visit to special Eid Fairs and participating in different cultural activities. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) used to wear a new dress on this occasion. But it was always very simple which every member of the brother could afford.

No boubt, there were people who could not even afford such simple dresses. To make it possible for them to join the rejoicings of Eid, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) ordered the rich to pay them a prescribed amount (known as fitrana) in advance, so that they may be able to get their new dress prepared for the occasion. The institution of Fitrana re-inforces Islam’s emphasis on one’s obligations towards society. Some of the prescribed practices or special spiritual etiquettes of Eid-ul-Fitr are given below:-

It is compulsory fo all the faithful to take a bath and wear new dress.

It is Sunnah to eat dates or some sweet dish before leaving for Eid prayers. The Holly Prophet (PBUH) always use to go for Eid congregation after eating some dates. (reported by Anas Bin Maalik & collected in Saheeh Al-Bukhari (Eng. Trans, Vol. 2 P-40 No. 73) & Ahmad.

It is Sunnah to recite “Takbiraat “loudly while going to Eidgah for offering Eid prayers or coming back from there. It is reported that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) himself used to recite these “Takbiraat” with a loud voice on Eid Day.

Pay Fitrana before Eid prayers to ensure that the less fortunate among us are also enabled to share the festivities. Fitrana is to be paid for every young or old. Its rates are fixed according to the prevailing rates of wheet and dates by Ulema.

It is preferable to offer “Eid Prayer” in an open ground or Eidgah and not in the Masjid, if possible. (Bukhri and Muslim)

It is Sunnah to adopt different routes to and from the Eidgah, preferable going on foot. The Holly Prophet (PBUH) himself used to go the Eidgah on foot and declared that it was more reqarding to seek the Divine blessings. Jabir reported that Prophet (PBUH) used to come back from the Eid prayer on a path other than the one used in going to it.

Sending Eid greetings to friends and relatives are customary on this occasion throughout the Muslim world. Exchange of special Eid cards is to show affection for the near and dear ones.

Pakistan Post Office has been issuing beautiful designed Eid Cards at different times. A special Eid Greeting envelope was also issued by Pakistan Post Office. Pakistan office issued following stamps on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr in the past.

On 24th December, 1999 two stamps of Rs. 2 & 15 denomination were issued.

On 14th November, 2002 One stamp of Rs. 4 denomination was issued.

On the eve of Eid celebration, Pakistan Post is issuing a Set of 4 Special postage stamps of each Rs.8/- denomination on August 13, 2012.