Permission

Well, this time I didn't expect it.

After months of wait I was ready to courier my film to those who had made it possible. My dear friends in Pakistan. I mean it.

Being aware about the high prices to courier anything to Pakistan I googled many Indian International Courier Services. ing down to 3-4 of them I made long calls clarifying everything I wanted to know.

where I was met by similar questions and expressions. What to courier? Where? Oh! Weight? Ohk! When?
This was before 26/11.

I had decided to send few gifts as a token of my gratitude to my friends. What they would be, I wasn't sure of. But I had a general idea. They would be some books or handicraft bags or something useful in their hobbies.

The first courier company blatantly refused and told me 'We are not s to send anything to Pakistan'. I was gen no reasons. May be they were not required.

The second company asked me in detail what else besides the film? I just made up my mind and gave a list of gifts I had planned. 'Ma'am, we can't send anything besides papers.'

Papers!!!

He meant documents. 'If you want to send anything else you need an HS Code for it'
I heard this for the first time. He added ' Do you know about it?' I guess, he already expected me not to know.
'Its a code given my the Import Export Ministry. If your commodity falls in one of their category, we can send it. Otherwise not.' I had no idea where to find it. Thankfully he himself told me an official website where to look for it. Confirming my doubt that he knew I didnt know. This company offered me reasonable tariffs, if only I could manage to go through the laid cumbersome procedure.

Glad with this help I immediately searched it but my happiness was limited. With thousands of categories and sub-categories and above it the sea of codes, I gave up.

The last option was a popular International Courier Company. I had used it services once but was avoiding it because f its high prices. But It was the only one left, I could depend on.
I had to compromise somewhere.
With the price they quoted I could easily send courier to London twice or even thrice. But that doesn't matter.

Surfing their website I realised that a parcel from India goes to Dubai to finally reach Pakistan.
It explained everything about the high prices and an omission of 'Oh & Ohk' in their questions.