A passage to Pakistan by post

NEW DELHI: With the snapping of all rail, road and direct air communication, Indians and Pakistanis may no longer be able to visit each other. But the letters and parcels they send are still delivered on time via Dubai, and through manual exchange at Wagah border.
Despite the diplomatic and military standoff, India Post — the government-run mail service — says its business is as usual.‘‘Mail exchange is continuing with Pakistan almost daily, both by road and air,’’ department of posts secretary S C Dutta said.
Air mail is despatched from Mumbai via Dubai but surface mail is sent by road to Wagah and carried physically up to the line demarcating the international border. There, a representative of Pakistan Post takes charge, handing over mail bound for India. The respective sacks are then hauled away for sorting and delivery.
Since the Pakistanis send more mail than they receive, India Post makes a lot of money.
‘‘According to international norms, any country which sends more mail than it receives from another has to pay for delivery of the excess mail. Since we get more mail from Pakistan than sent from here, it has to pay extra,’’ he said.
India scrapped the Delhi-Lahore bus and train services through the Wagah border and direct flights to and from Pakistan after terrorists attacked Parliament last year.
‘‘We continue to receive nearly 200 mailbags from Pakistan at Wagah, while we send about 105 mailbags in seven days,’’ he said.
Dutta said the department has tied up with Indian Airlines and Emirates, with the option of using eight of their daily flights, to transport mailbags between Mumbai and Dubai, from where they are carried to various destinations.