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Ramazan, Pakistan and Rooh Afza: An ode to laal sharbats
Undivided India was experiencing a crisis under Viceroy Lord Minto. This was 1906, the year of the Simla Deputation. It was also the year in which Hakeem Hafiz Abdul Majeed laid the foundation of the Hamdard Dawakhana, in the capital city of Delhi.
Starting as a small herb shop, Hamdard grew tremendously. Following partition, the Hamdard Dawakhana was inaugurated in Karachi on June 19, 1948.
Sixty-eight years later, the group's imprint on Pakistani lifestyle is undeniable.
While the group is known for many things today, including their herbal medicines and the Hamdard Matabs, the one Hamdard product closest to me is Rooh Afza. An iftar must-have that I, like many Pakistanis, have come to associate with Ramazan in the country.