Women waiting for free meals at VIP Food Point in Lahore. (Photo: Kamran Chaudhry)
Its 6 o'clock in the evening and people have started lining up at VIP Food Point in Youhanabad, a predominantly Christian district of Lahore, to collect iftar meals for breaking fast.
The staff are packing dates, bread and curry in plastic bags. Iron barriers have been placed on both sides of the roads to separate the queues. The burger shop owner Raja Walter is giving instructions via a microphone.
“Greetings in the name of Christ. Kindly cooperate with the administrations. Give priority to our Muslim brothers. Women can cover their faces with dupattas (long scarfs). Do not bring children. Keep distance,” he announces.
Wearing face masks and gloves, his staff check visitors with thermal guns and clean their hands with sanitizer. Hymns are played along the distribution that starts at 6.30pm with a Christian prayer. Free dinner is also served later.
