Page 78 - Pakistan: Beyond the Catalogue

MACHINE PRINTS: MASTUNG

''The instructions issued by the Government to the Treasury Officers clearly indicate that they
were required to make local arrangements for surcharging the remainder stocks available with
them. It was expected that they would use rubber hand-stamps.

On 28th December 1960, the Treasury Officer, Masnmg, sent an Express Telegram to the Board
of Revenue, Lahore, seeking reconciliation between two conflicting instructions. He had been
directed to surcharge the 2 Annas non-postal stamps with 12 Paisa while the 2 Annas Postal
stamps were to be surcharged 13 Paisa. He apparently did not receive any clarification so he
proceeded to use his own initiative and got three service stamps surcharged from the ISMALIA
ELECTRIC PRESS, QUETT A, on the 11 lh January 1961.

On the 14tti. February 1961, the Treasury Officer was asked by the Board of Revenue to explain
why he had the surcharging done locally. He was also asked to return all stocks of the locally
surcharged stamps, both hand-stamped and machine prints. His explanation was to the effect that
the instructions received by him to do the surcharging locally. Apparently the explanation was
accepted. The Machine Printed surcharges were all returned except for the 13 Paisa on 2 Annas
value most of which had already been issued for use. Remainders of the 13 Paisa value in the
Dadhar Sub-treasury were recalled and returned." Asani.
Three values were overprinted and the numbers printed are believed to be as follows; 6 Paisa / l
Anna, 80,000, 9 Paisa / l ~Annas, 60,000, 13 Paisa / 2 Annas, 61,600, of which about 40,000
were used for postage.

2

iB