Site Awarded in Pakistan

A website was awarded at the
National Stamps Exhibition "Lahore 2009"

The Pakistan Philatelic Association with the collaboration of Pakistan post, Philatelic Federation of Pakistan and Lahore Museum Lahore organized a National Stamps Exhibition “Lahore 2009” from 21-23 March, 2009 at Lahore City Heritage Museum (Tolinton Market) Lahore. The Classes in the Exhibition were Traditional, Postal History, Postal Stationary, Aero philately, Thematic, Revenue, Youth and Literature. Collectors from all over the country participated in that exhibition.

Rana Shamshad Ahmad, Post Master General, Pakistan Post, awarding
a Vermeil Medal to Akhtar ul Islam Siddiqui on his website Pakistan Philately

For the first time in the history of Pakistan a website, Pakistan Philately, was submitted in the literature section of a national philatelic exhibition. The website was presented on a CD. The jury examined the website, that consisted of a Catalogue of Pakistan Postage Stamps from 1947 to March 2009, News & Articles on Pakistan Philately, a List of Philatelic Literature & Associations, a Philatelists Directory and more. The website was accepted by the organizers and it was awarded a Vermeil Medal.

The jury who decided the awards consisted of Mr. Salman Qureshi, a prominent philatelist and Ex. President of the Philatelic Federation of Pakistan, Chairman Col. Nasir Hussain and Imtiaz Hussain Rizvi, General Secretary of the Philatelic Federation of Pakistan.

The collectors at exhibition hall commented that it was a rather a magazine then a simple webpage.

A beautiful envelope & exhibition brochure were issued by Pakistan Philatelic Association. A beautiful cover with the advertisement of Pakistan Philately website was also issued.


Special Envelope with advertisement of website and cancellation of exhibition

List of Award Winners at "Lahore 2009" National Stamps Exhibition (excerpt)

S.N.	Name of Collector	Title of Collection	Medal
1	Arif Balgamwala	Afghanistan 2^nd & 3^rd War 1979-81	Gold
2	Muhammad Jamil Ahmad	Bhawalpur Court Fee 1870 to 1940	Gold
3	Akhtar ul Islam Siddiqui	Pakistan Philately - Website	Vermeil
4	Abdul Latif Rashid	Populars Pakistan Stamps Catalogue 2009	Vermeil
5	M.I.Choudhry	Pakistan Postage Stamps Catalogue	Vermeil
6	Arif Balgamwala	Afghanistan 1928-1938	Vermeil
7	S.M.Masud	Pakistan 16^th Regular Issues	Vermeil
8	M.Tariq Khattak	Afghanistan Definitive Series 1939	Vermeil
9	Ghulam Asghar	Postal History of Pakistan 1947-48	Vermeil
10	Naeem Khan	Egypt since 1865	Large Vermeil

Summary

Name of the awarded website: Pakistan Philately
URL: www.pakistanphilately.com
Editor: Akhtar ul Islam Siddiqui
Name of Exhibition: Lahore 2009
Medal Awarded: Vermeil
Page source: the article submitted to PWO by Mr. Akhtar ul Islam Siddiqui, PWO member.

Comments
by Victor Manta, PWO president, AIJP member

For so many years the FIP, its Literature Commission and other important international philatelic organizations are discussing about how to integrate the spontaneous philatelic website creation movement into their exhibitions. After some earlier attempts the FIP gave up, alleging that the modern websites are too complicated for being examined.

We have above an example about how a national philatelic organization, that of Pakistan, without hairsplitting, examined and awarded in 2009 a philatelic website. Yes, they could, and we at PWO stay convinced that other philatelic organizations could do it too. Anyway, we at PWO are very proud that our member, Mr. Akhtar ul Islam Siddiqui, could finally break an one decade old ice, and we congratulate him heartily for his success!

Link: PWO Presentation at EFIRO 2008