‘Lassi for job creation, promote power’

Lahore Ta. Saturday, June 25, 2022

A top educational institution has advised the government to promote lassi and sattu drinking to boost employment and reduce tea imports in Pakistan, which is facing a severe cash shortage.

According to a report on a local TV channel, the acting head of the Higher Education Commission, Dr. Shaista Sohail has sent a letter to the Vice Chancellor of the country's government university. The letter urges the country to come up with innovative ideas that bring relief to the poor and benefit the economy as a whole.

Sohail wrote in the letter that efforts should be made to increase the use of lassi and sattu in the country to reduce imports and create employment opportunities for locals and also to increase tea cultivation locally. People who make lassi and sattu come from the weaker sections so they will benefit from increased sales while declining tea imports will see a decline in the country's overall imports.

Pakistan's current trade deficit is widening due to lower-than-import exports, while foreign exchange reserves are only ૨ 4.5 billion, making it difficult to pay for imports.

Earlier this month, Pakistan's Minister for Planning, Development and Special Schemes Ahsan Iqbal also appealed to the country's citizens to help reduce tea imports by reducing tea consumption.

Pakistan imports કરોડ 500 million worth of tea annually and is one of the leading importers of these drinks in the world.