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Storm in a teacup as minister urges Pakistanis to drink less chai to save money
- The world’s biggest importer of tea is facing a long-brewing economic crisis, with dwindling foreign reserves used to pay crippling debt
- The remarks by Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal quickly drew outrage across the nation of chai lovers
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A Pakistani minister has caused a storm in a teacup by urging citizens to cut back on drinking chai as a way to preserve foreign currency that pays to import the leaves used in brewing the popular beverage.
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Pakistan is the world’s biggest importer of tea – known locally as chai – with the latest government figures showing it pays over US$515 million a year to bring in the commodity, mostly from Kenya.
The country is suffering a long-brewing economic crisis, however, with dwindling foreign reserves used to pay crippling debt.
“I would also appeal to the nation to cut down one or two cups of tea because the tea we import is also imported on credit,” Ahsan Iqbal, minister for planning and development, said on Tuesday.
Pakistanis drink tea in many forms – black, green, hot, cold, sweet, salted and spiced – but the most popular is made by brewing the leaves in boiled sweetened milk.
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Iqbal’s comments prompted outrage Wednesday on social media and in tea rooms across the country.
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