30 March 2006

Lahore: "Paan Gali" in Lahore is an alley that would not be out-of-place in Delhi's Chandni Chowk.

Comprising hardly three lanes and not more than 50 shops, Paan Gali is a small area in the heart of the famous Anarkali Bazaar in the Punjab capital, which remains packed with customers keen to purchase Indian goods.

Shops in the Paan Gali are cheek by jowl and people mill around in this narrow street. They are here to get Indian goods, from betel leaves sold at thrice the local price, to sarees, ornaments, herbal products, cosmetics, the Indian coconut and even kitchen utensils.

The mood here is particularly upbeat since the resumption of the Samjhauta Express between the two countries and the launching of the Delhi-Lahore and Amritsar-Nanak bus services.

Dependence
Shopkeepers in Paan Gali can now stock goods that Pakistani tourists bring back from India, easing their dependence on the Middle East route to replenish supplies.

"Most of the things in the Paan Gali are illegally sold since the shopkeepers are supposed to pay tax to the government to sell imported goods," says Khurshid Alam, a local trader. But the demand for Indian goods is tremendous and trading in them is extremely profitable, he adds.

"We have a number of young girls and even housewives who come each day to inquire whether or not I have brought something or the other," says Yameen, an apprentice at a small stall of Indian jewellery in the market.

Lately, the demand for products like colours for festivities, ceremonial wrist bands and ornaments for wedding ceremonies, despite having religious and cultural associations with India, is going up.

'Not new'
Says Naseem Ahmad, a frequent visitor to the area: "This place is not new to me. My father used to come here and my grandfather himself told me that this place, since the partition, excels in selling Indian goods to the people here."

For people like Ahmad, it does not matter what expression the governments of the two countries wear on their faces for each other. "Even when there was no direct route available for the people or goods to be exchanged between the two sides, there was the route via Dubai and the consumers, although in a smaller quantities, kept pouring in."

Said Rasheed Ali, a local shopkeeper: "We are running successful businesses in the Paan Gali for decades now which is based on Indian products alone. One can only hope we can expand this into a bigger market open for people on both sides of the border."

Sarees from across border in demand
Indian sarees are among the items most in demand in Paan Gali.

"I believe because of Indian movies and movie stars, Indian embroidered cloth, particularly sarees are most the popular item.

"People from Karachi, Quetta and far-off places in Punjab come to the Paan Gali for the ethnic sarees from India," says says Rafiq Abbas, a shopkeeper.

"The texture and colours of ethnic Indian clothes are considered rich," he said.

By Amir Mir

Gulf News 2006. All rights reserved.