offering free meals to any Indian visiting the country on a short-term visa, in a novel reaction to reports that a Pakistani family was refused accommodation by hotels in Mumbai.
ISLAMABAD: The owner of an American restaurant chain in Pakistan is offering free meals to any Indian visiting the country on a short-term visa, in a novel reaction to reports that a Pakistani family was refused accommodation by hotels in Mumbai.
Iqbal Latif, who runs 26 franchises of international food chain Dunkin' Donuts in Islamabad, Lahore and Peshawar, took a leaf out of Mahatma Gandhi's book to show how neighbours should be treated. "It's not a big deal, but an effort to invoke the teachings of Gandhiji who preached love and coexistence all his life," Latif told Dawn News.
Latif's free-meal offer to Indians went into effect last week and the response has been overwhelmingly positive, the report said.
"We served 2,432 people in Peshawar, Islamabad and Lahore. They all loved it," Latif said. He took the initiative after reading reports that hotel owners of Mumbai's Bhendi Bazaar area refused accommodation to a family of six people from Karachi last week, following which they had to spend the night on the streets. The family was reportedly being refused accommodation as they did not possess the 'Form C' — which is to be submitted to a government department if people from outside the country come to the city on visa and stay in their lodges and hotels.
"I felt bad when I saw this that a family had to spend (a) part of (the) night (on a) footpath near a police station and another part at a pavement at the railway station," said Latif, adding his sales have gone up by 30% since this initiative.
Iqbal Latif, who runs 26 franchises of international food chain Dunkin' Donuts in Islamabad, Lahore and Peshawar, took a leaf out of Mahatma Gandhi's book to show how neighbours should be treated. "It's not a big deal, but an effort to invoke the teachings of Gandhiji who preached love and coexistence all his life," Latif told Dawn News.
Latif's free-meal offer to Indians went into effect last week and the response has been overwhelmingly positive, the report said.
"We served 2,432 people in Peshawar, Islamabad and Lahore. They all loved it," Latif said. He took the initiative after reading reports that hotel owners of Mumbai's Bhendi Bazaar area refused accommodation to a family of six people from Karachi last week, following which they had to spend the night on the streets. The family was reportedly being refused accommodation as they did not possess the 'Form C' — which is to be submitted to a government department if people from outside the country come to the city on visa and stay in their lodges and hotels.
"I felt bad when I saw this that a family had to spend (a) part of (the) night (on a) footpath near a police station and another part at a pavement at the railway station," said Latif, adding his sales have gone up by 30% since this initiative.
اسلام اباد: إن صاحب سلسلة المطاعم الأمريكية في باكستان وتقدم وجبات مجانية إلى أي الهندي يزور البلاد بتأشيرة المدى القصير، في رد فعل جديد لتقارير تفيد بأن عائلة باكستانية رفض الإقامة عن طريق الفنادق في مومباي.
تولى إقبال اللطيف، الذي يدير 26 الامتيازات من السلسلة الغذائية الدولية دانكن دونتس في اسلام اباد ولاهور وبيشاور، ورقة من كتاب المهاتما غاندي لاظهار كيف ينبغي معاملة الجيران. وقال "انها ليست صفقة كبيرة، ولكن محاولة لاستدعاء تعاليم غاندي الذي بشر المحبة والتعايش طوال حياته،" اللطيف الفجر نيوز.
وقال التقرير ذهب بدون وجبة العرض اللطيف لالهنود حيز التنفيذ الأسبوع الماضي، وكانت الاستجابة إيجابية للغاية.
".، ونحن خدم 2432 شخصا في بيشاور وإسلام أباد ولاهور أنهم جميعا أحب ذلك" قال لطيف. أخذ المبادرة بعد قراءة التقارير التي تفيد بأن أصحاب الفنادق من منطقة بندي بازار في مومباي رفض السكن لأسرة مكونة من ستة أشخاص من كراتشي الأسبوع الماضي، وبعد ذلك كان لديهم لقضاء ليلة في الشوارع. وذكرت الأنباء أن رفض الأسرة الإقامة لأنها لا تمتلك "نموذج C" - وهو الذي سيقدم إلى إحدى الدوائر الحكومية إذا كان الناس من خارج البلاد تأتي إلى المدينة على التأشيرة والبقاء في النزل والفنادق.
"شعرت بالضيق عندما رأيت هذا أن الأسرة كانت لقضاء (أ) جزء من (ال) ليلة (على) ممر قرب مركز للشرطة وجزء آخر في الرصيف في محطة السكك الحديدية" قال لطيف، مضيفا مبيعاته وقد ارتفعت بنسبة 30٪ منذ هذه المبادرة.