Mushtaq’s Pan House: A tradition amidst modern Commercial Market

Rawalpindi:The Commercial Market of Rawalpindi, located in the centre of the posh Satellite Town area, has expanded rapidly over the last two and a half decades in all four directions. It now hosts food outlets and clothing stores featuring almost all major foreign and local brands.

However, amidst the modern shops, there are some old favourites in this popular shopping hub for the residents of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. These include Ayub General Store, Ishfaq General Store, Abid Hosiery and General Stores, Munir Brothers, and others. One of these long-standing establishments is Mushtaq Pan House, run by Mushtaq 62 for over 40 years. It is situated in a corner commonly known as 'Gosht Wali Gali' in front of a famous cosmetics and perfume shop.

It's interesting to note that Mushtaq sells a variety of betel leaves (pan) to his customers, but he has never tasted one himself, as evidenced by his clean and neat teeth. "I never tasted Pan so that I wouldn't become habitual using it," he said. He mentioned that when he started the shop around 40 years ago at the young age of 22, the price of Pan was 12 annas (Rs 0.75). Currently, the price of Pan ranges from Rs 50 to Rs 150.

He shared that good quality Pan leaves are imported from Sri Lanka, while Karachi is the market for its ingredients. Mushtaq also recalled that many of his regular customers have passed away, but there are also new customers, some of whom are habitual users and others who demand Pan whenever they visit the Commercial Market.

It was revealed that Mushtaq is an employee at the Pan Shop in the veranda for four decades, which is owned by the owner of the cosmetics shop. He is well taken care of by his employers, who have also provided accommodation for him. This demonstrates his loyalty to his employers, as well as his humility and contentment with what he earns or is paid.