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This is an archive article published on June 26, 2021
Clothing store named after Pakistan wins hearts across the border
Amused by the name, people from Pakistan have been posting comments expressing their happiness and wish to visit India and meet the store owner.
The store is located in BRS Nagar, Ludhiana. (Express photo by Gurmeet Singh)
Tucked in the C-block market of Bhai Randhir Singh (BRS) Nagar in Ludhiana but impossible to miss with its massive, green display board, a women’s clothing store – ‘Pakistani Attire’ – has been getting a lot of love on social media, especially from the neighbouring country.
Amused by the name, people from Pakistan have been posting comments expressing their happiness and wish to visit India and meet the store owner.
Puneet Kaur (36), who runs the store ‘Pakistani Attire’, told The Indian Express: “It has been nearly seven years since I have been importing Pakistani suits, dupattas, kurtis, dress material etc. from Pakistan. I have never received any negative remarks or feedback for naming my shop after Pakistan.”
She added: “Except for a comment or two on Facebook where people told me not to promote Pakistan, no one including my family, friends or clients ever had any problems with it. Pakistani fashion is so unique and the suits are so well-designed that women from Punjab, in fact the entire northern region, are great fans of Pakistani attire and love buying them. I have clients from across the region, who always appreciate our work.”
The store owner said their customers include women from all communities. “We all are human beings first and God is one. There is no difference between people of India and Pakistan. It has been years that I have been dealing with people of Pakistan and they have always been very kind. No one has ever pointed a finger at the name of my store in Ludhiana and they always ask inquisitively about the products we offer,” said Kaur.
Meanwhile, after Ludhiana resident Jasbir Singh Jogi posted the picture of the store on a Facebook group ‘India Pakistan Heritage Club’, there was a flood of comments from across the border.
“Zabardast, dil khush kar ditta tussi!,” wrote Yousaf Hyat. “Love from Pakistan…,” wrote Farha Qazi. “I have a Bombay Bakery in my city Hyderabad Sindh,” wrote Shaheryar Khan. “Such a nice gesture…My best wishes,” wrote Shahina Marium from Okara, Pakistan. “This is Karachi…,” wrote Tanwir Ahmed, sharing a photograph of an eatery called ‘Indian Kitchen’ and another of ‘Delhi Sweets & Bakers’ in Okara.
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The post also took some down memory lane to pre-Partition times. One Umer Shakir from Gujranwala wrote: “…my father was also from Ludhiana, I would much obliged if you post the pics of Nawan Mohalla Peer Bakshish Wali Gali and Field Ganj koocha no. 8 Amli Wali Gali…” To this, Ludhiana resident Nitin Taneja replied, “…Now there is women’s shoe market in koocha 8. I go there every two months as I am a shoe dealer. You can see it on YouTube…”
“I wish to visit Ludhiana once because my ancestors were from there…,’ wrote Malik Rehan from Faisalabad.
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