The owner of an American restaurant chain in Pakistan is offering free meals to any Indian visiting the country on a short-term visa, in a novel reaction to reports that a Pakistani family was refused accommodation by hotels in Mumbai.
Iqbal Latif, who runs 26 franchises of international food chain Dunkin’ Donuts in Islamabad, Lahore and Peshawar, took a leaf out of Mahatma Gandhi’s book to show how neighbours should be treated. “It’s not a big deal, but an effort to invoke the teachings of Gandhiji who preached love and coexistence all his life,” Latif told Dawn News.
Latif’s free-meal offer to Indians went into effect last week and the response has been overwhelmingly positive, the report said. “We served 2,432 people in Peshawar, Islamabad and Lahore. They all loved it,” Latif said.