Pakistan Postage Stamps - 1980 ~ My Philatelic World

Year 1980 commenced with the publishing of a stamp to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the national flag carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on 10th January 1980.

The airline was founded on 29 October 1946 as Orient Airways, initially based in Calcutta in India, before shifting operations to the newly independent state of Pakistan in 1947. In 1955, the airlines became the founding pillar for the Pakistan International Airlines Corporation. The airline commenced international services in 1955 to London, via Cairo and Rome. PIA was the first non-communist airline to fly to China and was the second Asian airline to acquire jet aircraft by inducting a Boeing 707. In 2004, PIA became the launch customer of the Boeing 777-200LR. [Source]

Beside the stamp sowing a Boeing 747-200 and a Douglas DC-3 of the early days, a First Day Cover (FDC) was also issued on the occasion.

On 15th January 1980, a set of new definitive series stamps of geometric leaf pattern and floral design was used.

These stamps were printed at M/S Secura (Pvt) Ltd, Singapore.

16 February 1980: The 5th Asian Congress of Pediatric Surgery, Karachi

17 May 1980: The 11th Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers, Islamabad

15 July 1980: The 100th Anniversary of Karachi Port Management

18 September 1980: The 75th Anniversary of Command and Staff College in Quetta

The Command and Staff College, Quetta, is the oldest and the most prestigious institution of the Pakistan Army. It was established temporarily in 1905 at Deolali near Bombay in India by Lord Kitchener, Commander-in-Chief of the British Indian Army. On 1 April the same year, Brigadier General A.W.S. Bayly assumed his appointment as the Commandant, and the first batch of 24 officers commenced their studies. In 1907, the College was moved from Deolali to its permanent location at Quetta. [Read more from Source]

World Tourism Conference was held in Manila, Philippines. To commemorate the occasion a Re. 1 stamp showing Cheer Pheasant found in Pakistan was issued.