GILGIT, Dec 16: Overland postal service to China from the Northern Areas has been suspended at the request of the Chinese authorities, reliable sources told Dawn.

Sources said that after the Sept 11 attacks in the United States and because of fear of anthrax-laden postal letters, the authorities have decided to consign the mail from Karachi to Beijing by air.

Earlier, there was a round-the-year overland postal service from Gilgit to the main Chinese cities.

The immigration and customs officials said that the border at the Sost checkpoint had been opened only for transportation of goods from China and not for the passengers.

An official said that the authorities had made arrangements for the passage of business consignments from China.

But, he said, taking advantage of the situation, armed smugglers in Sost tried to overpower the customs personnel at various checkpoints and some incidents of firing had also been reported.

The customs personnel arrested some alleged smugglers at Khudabad.