Dawn November 17, 2006

LAHORE, Nov 16: Poets and writers on Thursday joined employees of the Pak Tea House to demand restoration of the historical place that had been a meeting point of literary giants even before partition.

The administration of the Young Men’s Christians Association (YMCA) had organised the demonstration outside the Pak Tea House on Thursday after the occupants of the place again attempted to convert it into a tyre shop on Wednesday night.

Known columnist Intizar Husain had also come to join the demonstration, but he was made to sit on a chair nearby by the participants who included Sarfraz Syed, Aamir Fraz, Ahmad Hammad, Kunwal Feroze, Zahid Nabi, Erish Mubarik, Javed Aftab and Ziaul Hasan.

Holding banners inscribed with their demands, the participants remained outside the tea house for half an hour.

Meanwhile, a civil court has stopped the occupants of the teahouse from converting it into a tyre shop.