KARACHI: For two days the world was deprived of Pakistan newspapers. Reason: The Pakistan Customs had suddenly decided to stop transmission of Pakistan newspaper parcels on Kutcha shipping bills — a procedure which had been in force in Pakistan since its inception and for decades in pre-partitioned India. The newspapers were given no previous notice… .It was only on Thursday [May 24] morning that they learnt from airlines that the Customs was insisting on Pucca shipping bills prepared 24 hours in advance for newspaper parcels.

The Assistant Collector of Customs … denied having passed any such orders. But the airlines said the Customs officers at the airport were adamant. … By Friday noon, the mystery was cleared by the Chief Controller of Foreign Exchange. The officer had made a routine query to the Customs. …

The ignoramus in Customs knew that the practice had obtained ever since they handled the work. But they just did not know under what regulation! The Customs men could not lay their hands on the regulation, so, in fright, they stopped the newspaper parcels and blamed the State Bank for the ban. — Staff correspondent

Published in Dawn, May 26th, 2026