Deficiency of infrastructure causing problems for post offices

More than 13,000 post offices providing postal services across the country are facing different problems due to deficiency of required infrastructure and other facilities.

The existing infrastructure of these post offices needs to be further improved as most of the rural areas people and specially students are dependent on these post offices.

An official of rural area post office said that they have not enough computer and other information technology facilities which are essential tools in the present time for efficient delivery of postal services to the people.

He said that most of the rural areas post offices required all these necessary facilities. Pakistan Post is providing services in every corner of the country through a network of around 13,000 post offices, but the lack of facilities is creating hurdles for smooth mail and parcel deliveries.

An official claimed that Pakistan Post is providing delivery services to about 20 million households and businesses as community service without any cost considerations.

In addition to its traditional role, the Pakistan Post also performs agency functions on behalf of Federal and Provincial governments, which inter-alia include Saving Bank, Postal Life Insurance, Collection of Taxes, Collection of Electricity, Water, Sui Gas and Telephone bills he said.

It is pertinent to mention that in the whole FATA including Waziristan only three post offices are working which need to extend these services in the rest of the FATA and far flung areas, an official of Pakistan Post told.

An official of Postal Services Ministry told APP that the customers of Postal Services can forward their complaints and suggestions directly to complaint Cell Directorate General Pakistan Post G-8/4, Islamabad, through mail, phone, fax, E-Mail or by any other means.

When contacted, Federal Minister for Postal Services Israrullah Zehri said that Pakistan Post is one of the oldest departments and has a vast infrastructure with a dynamic access in every corner of the country.

He said there is hard need to provide Information Technology staff and computerized

system in all post office, he appealed to government that our huge infrastructure is badly damaged by recent flash floods and for reconstruction and repairing of the damaged offices we need funds. He said that Postal Services ministry are facing financial problems to tackle these problems.