Violence forces Pathan teashops to close in Karachi
Pathan teashops (chaikhanas) in Karachi have been the victims of ethnic and political violence. Pathans originally from Quetta have suffered the most. For details, see here.Posted by David Fahey on July 5, 2010 at 06:54 PM in Drinking Spaces, Pakistan, Temperance | Permalink
Pakistani bootleggers at risk from police, the Taliban, and their own families
Pakistani bootleggers earn high profits at great risk: from the police, from the Taliban (who formerly tolerated whiskey drinking), and from their own families who might disown them. The contraband whiskey, beer, and other alcoholic drinks comes largely from foreign embassies. By the way, vodka has less prestige. For more, see here.Posted by David Fahey on April 12, 2010 at 09:41 PM in Beer, Pakistan, Vodka, Whiskey | Permalink
A bonfire of drugs in Kabul
"In the foothills north of Kabul, six and a half tonnes of heroin, opium and hashish were set ablaze..." It was "...a minuscule triumph, a small victory against the traffickers." See the Al Jazeera article here.
Posted by Dave Trippel on May 13, 2009 at 10:29 PM in Afghanistan, Opium, Pakistan | Permalink
Obama Plan for U.S. Military - Help Eradicate Afghan Opium
The Times of India explains the setting, and the new U.S. administration's desires here.
Posted by Dave Trippel on April 22, 2009 at 07:44 PM in Afghanistan, Opium, Pakistan, United States | Permalink
Café Coffee Day looks forward to Starbucks competition in India
Café Coffee Day currently has 400 coffee outlets in India and plans to open another 250 this financial year. It also has thousands of Coffee Day Xpress vending machines (and two subsidiary-owned coffee shops in Pakistan and, as its beachhead in Europe, three in Vienna). Café Coffee Day looks forward to the entry of Starbucks into the Indian market as it believes that Starbucks will persuade customers to accept much higher prices for coffee drinks. For more, see here.
Posted by David Fahey on March 18, 2007 at 08:55 PM in Austria, Coffee, Drinking Spaces, India, Pakistan | Permalink
Taryak opium in Pakistan
A form of opium caled taryak has long been popular among gangsters in the Lyari neighborhood of Karachi, Pakistan, because it allowed users to remain awake. Recently it has spread to the district's youth. For more, see here.
Posted by David Fahey on January 30, 2007 at 08:34 PM in Opium, Pakistan | Permalink
Indian coffee chain opens shop in Pakistan
Through a local partner India's largest coffee house chain, Cafe Coffee Day, has opened its first shop in Pakistan at Karachi. Cafe Coffee Day sees great possibility for growth in an Islamic country which bans alcohol. It has 364 coffee shops (which it calls coffee lounges) in India. Other than the new Pakistan store, Cafe Coffee Day's only international coffee shop is located at Vienna, a symbolic foothold in one of Europe's traditional coffee centers. For more, see here.
Posted by David Fahey on December 15, 2006 at 10:34 AM in Coffee, India, Pakistan | Permalink
Pakistan's 21-year-old "Scotch" single malt
The only whiskey distillery in Pakistan located at Rawalpindi is now selling a 21-year-old "Scotch" whiskey. Legally, it can be sold only to non-Muslims (about 5% of the country's population, plus foreigners residing in Pakistan) but much of it is resold to Muslims who drink alcohol despite the ban ordained by their religion. The government of Pakistan, officially an Islamic state, won't allow the whiskey to be exported, although there probably would be a market among people of South Asian origin who live in the West. The whiskey is produced by Murree Brewery which began in 1860 at a hill station in the old British India where beer was brewed for British soliders serving in the locality. Nearly all the more than 400 workers at the brewery and distillery are Muslims who at least officially are non-drinkers. For more, see here.
Posted by David Fahey on December 9, 2006 at 09:51 AM in Pakistan, Whiskey | Permalink
Ban on smoking in public places in Pakistan
Pakistan soon will implement a ban on smoking in public places including transport. For more, see here.
Posted by David Fahey on October 22, 2006 at 03:22 PM in Pakistan, Tobacco | Permalink
Pakistan, Egypt eye India's tea
Drought in Kenyan is forcing the Pakistan and Egyptian markets to look to India for tea, and a Pakistani delegation is likely to visit India in mid-April to look at options for importing Indian tea.
Read more.
Posted by Cynthia on April 4, 2006 at 10:50 AM in Egypt, India, Pakistan, Tea | Permalink