Lahori nightlife — returning to life




LAHORE: The city’s nightlife, which was smothered during the regime of Gen Ziaul Haq, is reviving with a campaign led by the city’s cafés, especially those on Muhammad Ali Kasuri Road (near Hussain Chowk in Gulberg).

Several of the cafés are open 24 hours a day, and provide various edibles and beverages like coffees, cakes, drinks, sheeshas and light meals. The visitors of these cafés include people from all age groups who gather there to hang out, throw parties and conduct business meetings.

Fawad (35), a businessman, was found sitting at a café on Muhammad Ali Kasuri Road at 3am with his associates, discussing business matters. He told Daily Times that he lived in the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) but he liked the cafés on Muhammad Ali Kasuri Road and visited them with his family, friends and business partners.

Mariam, another visitor of a café on the same road, said she studied law at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS). She said she visited the cafés to hang out with friends and study in groups – if there was a bored party at home.

She said that she had been visiting the cafés for the last couple of years, and noted that their businesses was flourishing. “Several cafés have opened on Muhammad Ali Kasuri Road and all of them are usually booked.”

Ayesha Ahmad, a TV journalist, said her friends – mostly colleagues – visited the cafés on the road. She said she had read about Gen Zia’s suppression of many recreational facilities and was happy to see Lahore’s nightlife thriving.

“These cafés remind me of the nights I spent at similar places in the suburbs of Paris,” said Imaduddin, who had spent most of his childhood in France. He said that he had visited many cities in the country and had found Lahore ahead of all of them in recreational facilities, especially such night-time cafés. Imad added that he loved various kinds of European, Thai and Asian foods that were served at those cafés. Afnan Khan

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...008_pg13_8