The local writers and intellectuals are anxiously awaiting the reincarnation of the Pak Tea House as the renovation process of the historic restaurant inches forward, after the courts had dismissed the petition against the restoration of the cafe. The Pak Tea House which faced litigations is traversing gradual renovation as the Punjab Government has decided upon restoring the literary heritage of the town. At present the Pak tea House is under the name of the Young Men Christian Association which vows to run the tea house with new ideas and themes but with the same legacy of the past.
On Wednesday the Lahore High Court dismissed the petition filed by Zahid Hassan, a tenant of PTH, who wanted a restraining order against the restoration.
Zahid Hassan maintained that he wanted to run a profitable tyre business at the place. The Judge Umer Ata Bandial observed that the PTH was an integral part of the city’s heritage and that it should not have been transformed into a tyre shop.
While talking to Pakistan Today, General Secretary YMCA Sameul Pervaiz said that the Punjab Government was taking a special interest in reviving PTH. He said that Hamza Shahbaz had visited the premises and had announced to give the renovation responsibility to the Punjab Government. “A group of designers had visited the building and took all the necessary measurements of the restaurant”, said he added.
He said that the YMCA was vying to inject new life to the historic restaurant, while keeping the same literary legacy and introducing a contemporary theme. “The building is of great heritage importance and many poets, writers and intellectuals were associated with the tea house, the YMCA intends to keep this place alive even if we would have to serve subsidised food and tea”, said Samuel.
The Pak Tea House was established in 1940 by the name of India Tea House. The famous tea hub was made by the Sikhs before the partition of the subcontinent after which the name of the restaurant was changed to Pak Tea House. The YMCA had rented out the Pak Tea house to Sarajuddin and after Sarajuddin’s death, his son Zahid Hasan had its possession but owing to financial constraints and health problems, he wanted to open a garment or tyre shop. The YMCA asked its tenant Sarajuddin and his son to vacate the place who then took the matter to court. After unanimous protest and the court reiterated that poets and writers were the souls of a society and hence, the place could not be used for any other purpose. The tea house was a place where noteworthy writers openly expressed their political views even during the repressive military regimes of Ayub Khan and Ziaul Haq.
The court of law was again approached where the matter remained pending. Meanwhile, the Tea House was closed down and the place was occupied by a cloth trader and a tyre merchant. A squad of the city district government of Lahore retrieved it on Thursday night after the court decided the matter in favour of YMCA. The CDGL handed over its possession to the YMCA which plans to return the heritage to Lahorites.
