by Raza Rumi
This letter appeared in several dailies, some time ago, with the title: Saving Pak Tea House with this sad-funny illustration that plays on the title- Pak Tyre House. The author is Dr. Irfan Zafar.
Pak Tea House, located on the Mall near Anarkali Bazar in Lahore was originally established as the “India Coffee House” before independence in 1947. The café has been traditionally frequented by the city’s artistic, cultural and literary personalities, including Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Sa’adat Hassan Manto, Muneer Niazi, Ahmad Faraz, Mira Ji and Kamal Rizvi. Along with the writers, the café is also a favourite haunt of Lahore’s youth with non-mainstream points of view.
Recently, because of business concerns and after the death of the owner of the café, his son tried to sell it to a tyre shop owner. While Pakistan is not known for honouring its artists, writers and poets, certain places are part of our national heritage. Pak Tea House is one such establishment. It is the responsibility of the government to preserve it. The least it can do is by the establishment at market rate from the owner’s son, and ensure the continued existence of the café for the benefit of future generations.
Islamabad
3 Comments
April 5, 2008 at 10:01 am
I fully agree with this we must save this building which has a legend with its name.Mall is incomplete without pak tea house.Why we are not saving any thing in the name of culture for our future generations.
May 5, 2008 at 7:31 pm
What has become of this case? Has it been preserved?
May 5, 2008 at 8:59 pm
Fully agree Raza..we must be able to do something even if it means buying that place.