KARACHI, Oct 2: The ministry of communications is in talks with stakeholders about the establishment of a regulatory body mandated to supervise the working of courier companies.

Sources told Dawn that under a recent Supreme Court ruling the Pakistan Post Office had monopoly over ordinary mail weighing less than 20 grams. They said the proposed regulatory body would ensure that private courier companies did not poach ordinary mail supposed to be handled by the Pakistan Post Office alone.

“Enjoying a vast network of 12,107 branches across the country, the Pakistan Post Office handles 350 million items of ordinary mail on an annual basis. If the law is enforced strictly by the regulatory authority, the Pakistan Post Office will have access to a far greater magnitude of ordinary mail,” the Sindh Postmaster-General, Mohammad Ahmad Mian, told Dawn on Saturday.

The Pakistan Post Office accuses courier companies of dealing in ordinary mail, thus robbing it of its legitimate market share.

The Supreme Court threw its weight behind the Pakistan Post Office when it declared that ordinary mail less than 20 grams was an exclusive privilege of the Pakistan Post Office.

“The Pakistan Post Office delivers mail, and operates

post offices, in those far-flung areas which are completely neglected by couriers companies. Its operations in such areas have to be subsidized. And therefore it lays exclusive claim on ordinary mail,” argued Mr Mian, hoping that the regulatory body would safeguard the interests of the Pakistan Post Office.

Another argument advanced by the postmaster-general was that tariff charged by the Pakistan Post Office was much less than the rates of courier companies.

He added that courier companies were successful only in urban areas.

He said that in rural areas people still placed a great deal of trust in the Pakistan Post Office.

He said efforts were also being made to improve the performance of postmen. “Complaints are received about postmen, but it must be realized that the number of complaints is insignificant in comparison with the magnitude of mail handled by the Pakistan Post Office on a daily basis,” he contended.