Catalogue range: Philatelic Hub PK82–PK86

The stamps of 1956 record one of the most important constitutional changes in Pakistan’s history. On 23 March 1956, the country’s first constitution came into force and Pakistan formally became the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. A commemorative stamp marking the Proclamation of the Republic was issued for this historic occasion and is catalogued as PK82. The ninth anniversary of independence was later represented by a crescent-and-star design, reinforcing the country’s national identity. The remaining stamps feature a map of East Pakistan, reflecting the geographical structure of Pakistan before 1971 and the importance assigned to representing both wings of the state. The year is also notable in Pakistan philately for the introduction of a regular stamp booklet and for inscriptions incorporating three languages, making these issues particularly interesting to specialists in postal production and national symbolism. Philatelic Hub catalogues the principal individual stamps from PK82 to PK86, with the complete East Pakistan map set listed separately. Collectively, the 1956 stamps preserve the constitutional, geographical and cultural identity of Pakistan at the moment it became a republic.