Hot beverage that unites people of Rawalpindi

75-year-old Ludhiana Tea Stall also becomes celebrity hotspot

ISLAMABAD:

Rawalpindi is known for its vibrant history and rich culture. At its heart is the famous Knight Road in Lalkurti Bazaar, and on the road is a historic market overflowing with bookshops, cloth markets, and grocery stores. It also houses clinics, hotels, tea stalls and flower shops. One of the tea stalls on the famous road is being run by a family from the Indian city of Ludhiana in 1946.

The 75-year-old stall is still being managed by second-generation immigrants. The family moved to Rawalpindi right before the creation of Pakistan. The stall’s owner, Nazeer Hussain, said that after his grandfather, he and his father were running it.

Hussain shared that while he has nine siblings who were all married and with children; he was the only one to continue the legacy of his ancestors. He has five children and says he is proud of his work.

He laments that although they started selling tea at five paise per cup, the prices gradually went up and each serving now costs Rs30 as he uses fresh cream and milk. People still stop by to have sips of tea to refresh themselves from the monotony of daily life and savour the rich heritage surrounding them.

Celebrity hot-spot

Hussain claims that former president Pervez Musharaf used to visit his stall frequently when he lived near Lalkurti Bazaar. Besides, Musharraf, ex-prime minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, PML-N senior leader Raja Zafarul Haq, and several others also visited his stall.

Social activist Zahid Janjua, international hockey umpire Pir Shafaat Ali Baghdadi, Rawalpindi Football Association official Muhammad Shaukat, and advocate Chaudhry Ayaz also visited with their elders.

The elders would also drink tea at the stall. Childhood habits and prevailing norms compel them to stop at the tea stall, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 21^st, 2021.