Post offices to open from 5 Apr

Postal department will start providing various services on a limited basis for three hours every day from 5 April during the coronavirus pandemic.

All the General Post Offices (GPOs) and main postal office will remain open from 10:00am to 1:00pm from 5 April, said a handout from the Posts and Telecommunications Division.

Counters will remain open in special arrangement for transactions through Post Office Savings Bank, e-commerce, mobile money order and parcel services, it said.

During the office hours, e-commerce, parcels, life-saving medicines and coronavirus-related items will get special priority, the handout said.

However, no items will be distributed to houses while the senders are directed to provide receivers’ mobile numbers on the parcels.

People can receive e-commerce and parcels from window counters at post offices. Retired officials will be able to withdraw allowances through representatives from the post office.

All the activities at the GPOs and main post office will be operated through Radial System.

All the dues including salaries, allowances of staff at the post offices will be ensured.

Earlier on 29 March, posts and telecommunications minister Mustafa Jabbar said the Directorate of Posts has been sending personal protective equipment (PPE), coronavirus testing kits and awareness leaflets to all 64 districts free of charge.

Altogether 60 covered vans of the directorate started carrying PPE, coronavirus testing kits and leaflets to the offices of civil surgeons in all 64 districts from 28 March.

The government on Wednesday extended holidays till 11 April to prevent the transmission of COVID-19. Earlier, a general 10-day holiday was declared from 26 March to 4 April.