🛒 Boycotting the Bullies - A Pakistani Grocery List

    A few days ago, my 7-year-old came running to me, anxious. "Daddy, daddy, chachu gave me a boycott chocolate, I can't eat it." She handed me the Dairy Milk bar as if it were on fire. I looked at my brother, beaming, communicating with my eyes that he should learn from this child. Proud, I looked at my daughter, handed it back, and said, "We can eat it, beta, it's not haram, but we cannot buy it. Chachu shouldn't have bought it, but if it's bought already, there's no harm in eating it." She smiled "ok" and ran away with the chocolate bar.

    It's been what, 3 years? We got into Pakistani products when Israel attacked Palestine, and we have been stringent on it by the grace of God. It's not that we are alone in this—in fact, since we started, a whole lot of friends are boycotting, and there have been visible effects on the market. More and more Pakistani companies are surfacing each day with better qualities and extensive portfolios of items. Sufi, Wavy, Golden Pearl, Next, Fast Action, Nexton—all are companies that come straight to mind.

    And then there's the shop, Bismillah Cash and Carry in Jinnah Gardens, Islamabad. They literally removed all boycott items from their shelves. It's so easy to do our monthly grocery from their shop. While they're a smaller initiative—meaning we still have to complement our shopping from a bigger mall sometimes—hats off to Molana Abdur Rehman and his sons' efforts.

    Three years is a good enough time to accumulate a solid list of local alternatives. There is sometimes a slight compromise on quality, but you get used to it. I hope this list will help people buy Pakistani. It helps the economy, it helps local businesses grow, and it helps stand up for a cause.

Disclaimer: None of the following companies pay me a commission; I wish they would, but they don't! (Sigh) It's for a cause, nevertheless. So anyway... here goes.

Item	Pakistani Brands We Use
Dishwashing soap	Safon
Toothpaste	Medicam, English, Forhan's
Baby toothpaste	Shield, Kodomo (Japanese brand)
Detergent	Number One, Panda Liquid
Shampoo	Saeed Ghani, Hello Hair (by Golden Pearl)
Soap	Capri, Vital, Saeed Ghani, Opal
Wipes	Rocket, Shield
Phenyl	Fast Action
Dish wash liquid	Safon
Dish wash foam	Wavy
Toilet cleaner	Fast Action
Bathroom cleaner	Wavy
Sanitary pads	Butterfly (improved quality), Molped (Turkish brand)
Tissue	Rose Petal, Tulip, Xtra Clean
Hair removing cream	Saeed Ghani, Golden Pearl
Body spray	Golden Pearl, J.
Facewash	Saeed Ghani
Kids shampoo, body wash & baby oil	Nexton
Talcum powder	Medicam
Neel (Fabric whitener)	Fast Action
Sponge cleaners	None available
Body wash (male)	Dari Mooch (not tested yet)
Body wash (female)	SL Basics (personal taste varied)
Mosquito killer products	Kingston, Fast Action
Cleaning powder (VIM alt)	Safon
Noodles	Shoop
Macaroni	Bake Parlour, Kolson
Chocolate	Candyland products, Opus, Hiss, Jubilee, Now, Paradise, Sonnet, Brick Lane, Bittens
Jelly	National, Italiano
Baking products	Italiano, Rossmoor
Rice	Local packing
Sugar	Local packing
Cooking oil	Seasons Canola
Butter	Nurpur, Adam's
Porridge, flakes, cereal, choco cups	Fauji
Spaghetti	Mario
Flavoured toppings	Salman's, Young's
Jam	National
Herbal teas	Tapal
Tea	Islamabad Chai
Coffee	Tapal 3-in-1, Klassno (Singapore)
Bread	Dawn, Continental, Bread & Beyond
Biscuits & wafers	Innovative, Bisconni, Peak Freans
Squash and Sherbet	Mitchell's, Sunsip, Qarshi
Juices	Fruitens, Tops, Murree Brewery, Jam-e-Shirin
Fizzy drinks	Next, Gourmet, Murree Brewery
Candy	Candyland products
Ice cream	Hico
Ketchup	National, Shangrilla
Mayonnaise	Young's
Chicken spread and flavours	Young's
Chocolate spread	Young's
Drinking chocolate	None available
Sauces & Vinegar	Tops, Shangrilla, National, Key
Recipe mixes / spices	National, Shan
Frozen foods	K&N's, Dawn, Doughstory

    There are more products like tea whiteners, tetrapack milk, margarine, etc. that we do not use. There are still more Pakistani brands that we do not like the taste of, or haven't even tried yet. So it's not an exhaustive list.

    The trick is to look for manufacturer labelling—check beneath the branding for the actual packers. Sometimes, UK or USA is written as "under licence of". If you're unsure, look up the manufacturer on Google. Simply search the brand name along with "owner of [Brand Name]" or "parent company of [Brand Name]". That usually clarifies it immediately.