'Balay Bhai': Jahangir Road’s beloved channa chaat seller inspires many

On Karachi’s busy Jahangir Road, 79-year-old Iqbal — fondly known as Balay Bhai — continues to serve his signature channa chaat, a craft he says he has pursued since childhood.

Born in 1947, Balay Bhai migrated with his family from Lahore to Karachi shortly after Partition. “We came and stayed near the Red Cross camp close to Mazar-e-Quaid. Later, we settled on Jahangir Road. This area has been my home ever since,” he recalls.

He studied locally and completed his matriculation in 1968, selling chana to support his education. “I would sell chana for three to five rupees and then go to school. After classes, I would sell again. It was my hobby,” he says.

Despite later taking up a job with a modest salary of Rs240 per month, he never abandoned his chaat stall. “Office bhi jana aur chole bhi bechna — that was my life,” he says.

Today, his three graduate children often urge him to stop working. “My daughters say, ‘Baba, leave this now.’ But I tell them, ‘Yeh mera shoq hai, karobar nahi.’ This is my passion, not just a business.”

Balay Bhai describes the preparation as labour-intensive, from soaking chickpeas overnight to cutting potatoes and onions with his wife. “We are like two wheels of a cart. If one stops, the system fails,” he says.

Two years ago, he had to cancel his long-awaited Umrah due to emergency surgery. “My ticket was ready, but my health failed. I pray Allah gives me another chance,” he adds.

During Ramzan, his stall operates from 3pm until Maghrib. His message to the youth: “Work hard. Without hard work, nothing comes. And always stay regular in prayer.”