There is a grave shortage of staple iftar drink Rooh Afza in neighbouring India and Pakistan is willing to offer help. According to a story published in The Print, the sherbet has been off the stores for five to six months now.
India's Hamdard Laboratories claim that there is a shortage of raw materials but The Print's report claims that a dispute between the owners was the reason for the shortage of the iconic drink.
Given the importance and wide usage of the drink in Ramazan, Pakistan's Rooh Afza producers have offered help to India. Pakistan Hamdard's CEO Usama Qureshi said that he could easily send trucks of Rooh Afza to India via Wagha if the Indian government permits.
“We can supply RoohAfza and RoohAfzaGO to India during this Ramzan. We can easily send trucks through Wahga (sic) border if permitted by Indian Government,” he said via his official Twitter account.
The two Hamdards have common ancestry — the original was founded by Hakeem Hafiz Abdul Majeed in old Delhi in the early 1900s, while the one in Pakistan was founded by his son Hakeem Mohammed Said, who migrated after Partition, in 1948.
During a press conference, Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr. Muhammad Faisal was also asked about the shortage of Rooh Afza in India and said that Pakistan would be more than willing to quench India's Rooh Afza thirst. “Absolutely. [We] will send Rooh Afza if it helps quench thirst in India,” Faisal said.
The shortage has had Indians unhappy. “Not to have a glass of Rooh Afza at the end of the day-long fast is pinching,” Ovais Sultan Khan, a Delhi-based social activist told Arab News. Given the circumstances, some sweet diplomacy won't hurt.
How would you rate Rooh Afza out of ten? Write in the comments section below
India's Hamdard Laboratories claim that there is a shortage of raw materials but The Print's report claims that a dispute between the owners was the reason for the shortage of the iconic drink.
Given the importance and wide usage of the drink in Ramazan, Pakistan's Rooh Afza producers have offered help to India. Pakistan Hamdard's CEO Usama Qureshi said that he could easily send trucks of Rooh Afza to India via Wagha if the Indian government permits.
“We can supply RoohAfza and RoohAfzaGO to India during this Ramzan. We can easily send trucks through Wahga (sic) border if permitted by Indian Government,” he said via his official Twitter account.
The two Hamdards have common ancestry — the original was founded by Hakeem Hafiz Abdul Majeed in old Delhi in the early 1900s, while the one in Pakistan was founded by his son Hakeem Mohammed Said, who migrated after Partition, in 1948.
During a press conference, Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr. Muhammad Faisal was also asked about the shortage of Rooh Afza in India and said that Pakistan would be more than willing to quench India's Rooh Afza thirst. “Absolutely. [We] will send Rooh Afza if it helps quench thirst in India,” Faisal said.
The shortage has had Indians unhappy. “Not to have a glass of Rooh Afza at the end of the day-long fast is pinching,” Ovais Sultan Khan, a Delhi-based social activist told Arab News. Given the circumstances, some sweet diplomacy won't hurt.
How would you rate Rooh Afza out of ten? Write in the comments section below