Coming soon: ‘Pak Tea House to re-open’

Property vacated by the city govt at YMCA’s request.

LAHORE:

The Pak Tea House might open its doors again after 10 years.

The City District Government Lahore on Thursday vacated the property owned by the Young Men’s Christian Association from Bashir Sons.

Several vehicles and staff of the Data Gunj Baksh Town, Ravi Town, Gulberg Town, Samanabad Town, Aziz Bhatti Town and Nishter Town were called in to help with the operation.

Officials heading the operation claimed that the teams had been called in only to assist Bashir Sons to remove heavy cartons of cloth. According to an official Bashir Sons had asked for the city government’s help.

The Pak Tea House, used to be a favourite hangout of writers, poets and intellectuals. It was closed about 10 years ago by the owner Zahid Hassan who cited bad business as the reason for the decision. The place was initially rented out to tyre traders and later given to Bashir Sons for use as a warehouse.

Data Gunj Bakhsh Town Revenue Officer Ahsan Sarwar Zaidi told The Express Tribune that the YMCA had requested the Commissioner to get their property vacated from Bashir Sons. He said that the YMCA had claimed that they had rented the shop to Hassan, who in turn had sublet it, something which the YMCA said Hassan was not authorised to do. Zaidi said that Bashir Sons employees had been cooperative, adding that the operation would be complete by Friday.

Though Zaidi confirmed that the Pak Tea House would re-open, he could not confirm who the new management of the Pak Tea House would be.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 3^rd, 2012.