American Revolution Bicentennial 1776-1976 (July 4, 1976)

Rs 4/- STAMP; The stamp is horizontal in format and is based on one of the famous printings of John Trumbull. named “Declaration of Independence” banging in the Rotunda of the U S. Capital. The Ameri-can Revolution Bicentennial emblem (red and blue outli-ned star) appears in the top right corner. The wording “American Revolution Bicentennial 1776-1976” appears in blue In the top white panel, while the word Pakistan in Urdu and English appears in the side white panel at right. The denomination ‘Rs. 4’ with the word ‘postage’ appears in black in the bottom right corner.
90 PAISA STAMP. The stamp is horizontal in format. The Jefferson’s Memorial in light grey colour is shown against a dark blue background. The red and blue outlined star, emblem of American Revolution Bicentennial, appears in the white circle at the top right corner surrounded by the lettering “American Revolution Bicentennial 1776-1976” in black. The denomination figure 90P is placed in the top left corner in black with the word ‘postage I below alongside the left edge. “Pakistan” in English and Urdu appears in Yellow in the red panel at the bottom of the stamp.
The people of the Untied States of America are celebrating this year the Bicentennial of the American Revolution. The origins of that momentous event, which was to culminate in the birth of a new nation, can be traced to the first settlement of the North American continent, when men and women fled the religious, political and economic oppression of the Old World for freedom and opportunity in the New. Distance alone, given the primitive communications of the day, ensured that the ties between the two worlds, between ruler and subjects, must inevitably weaken as the vitality of the colonies grew stronger.
The “Declaration of Independence” adopted by the Congress of the Thirteen Colonies of America on July 4j976, served the purpose far beyond that of a public notice of freedom from foreign rule. Its political philosophy explicit in the words- “We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights,, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”- has inspired many a nations and peoples the world over. As for the Americans themselves it was the beginning of a long and arduous task to found a society which could be an enduring expression of these ideals.
Two hundred years later,, the Americans have settled their continent and are now one of the richest nations in the world; rich in resources, rich in creativity and rich in strength. The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mr. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, in an interview to “Saturday Review.” a well-known magazine, paid rich tributes to the American Revolution. He said: “The American Revolution may have been only an instant of historical time, confined only to a segment of the world’s space, yet its reverberations still live, and its echoes can be heard from distant shores. This resonance of the original American message is perhaps nowhere more perceptible than in a so-called Third World country like Pakistan”.
In response to a question concerning the impact of American Revolution on the political and social development of Pakistan, the Prime Minister said:
Those who have only a vague idea of Pakistan as a splintered and separate part of the amorphous geographical, cultural and ethnic entity that they have historically known as India can have little understanding of the implosions of our independence. They can, therefore, be hardly awa-re of the deep pertinence that American example holds for us. It is not a fact peculiar to Pakistan that some of the basic concepts which were crystallized by the American Revolution are legal tender in our constitutional currency. The philosophy of a written constitution as embodying fundamental law and also furnishing the central point of allegiance the consequent principle of the judicial review of legislation, the. idea of an equilibrium between central authority and the autonomy of constituent units all these, and more, have been imbibed by other Third World nations as much as by Pakistan.
Moreover, the memories of religious persecution in another land are as fresh, if even more grievous, in the minds of many who made Pakistan their home as they were in the minds of those who settled in the United States in previous centuries. We know the strains of immigration. We partake of the strivings of different ethnic groups to assimilate a common language. Pakistan and the United States have traditionally enjoyed close and cordial relations. The relations covering a wide range of political, economic and cultural cooperation have grown in depth and cordiality over the years. The people of Pakistan greatly value these ties and have the friendliest feelings for the people of the United States.
On this day, July 4,1976, when the American nation is celebrating the 200th anniversary of its independence, the people of Pakistan join in this festive commemoration. The Pakistan Post Office, on behalf of the Government and People of Pakistan issues this special United States of America Bicentennial Commemorative Postage Stamp as a mark of deep-rooted friendship existing between the United States of America and Pakistan.