Pakola

Pakola is a Pakistani carbonated soft-drink brand whose name is derived from “Pakistan-Cola.” It is particularly associated with a bright green ice-cream-soda flavor and has become one of Pakistan’s most recognizable domestically created beverage brands. The brand was developed by Haji Ali Mohammad Tali, one of seven brothers from the Telii family of Dhoraji who migrated to Pakistan in 1947. The family’s stated ambition was to create a drink that would express a distinctly Pakistani identity rather than imitate an established foreign cola alone. Pakola was introduced on 14 August 1950, Pakistan’s Independence Day. The launch took place at a Pakistan Air Force base and was attended by Liaquat Ali Khan, Pakistan’s first prime minister. Its unusual color and cream-soda profile differentiated it from conventional cola beverages, while the brand name connected the product directly with the new nation. During the early 1960s, consumers began combining Pakola with chilled milk and serving the mixture in jugs at communal iftar meals during Ramadan. This serving tradition helped extend the drink beyond ordinary soft-drink consumption and contributed to its cultural visibility. Production later became associated with Pakistan Beverages, established in Karachi’s S.I.T.E. industrial area. In 1979, Pakistan Beverages was announced as a new production facility for Pepsi. The development led to the creation of Mehran Bottlers, managed by Haji Ali Mohammad’s nephews Zafir Habib and Arif Habib. Mehran Bottlers continued producing Pakola alongside other beverages, including Apple Sidra and Bubble Up. This arrangement placed Pakola within a broader family-linked bottling and beverage-manufacturing operation rather than treating it solely as a single-product brand. The core Pakola Ice Cream Soda remains the brand’s signature offering, but the portfolio expanded over time. Orange and Raspberry variants were introduced in 1985, followed by Lychee in 1991, Fresh Lime in 2006, Water in 2015, and Pomegranate in 2016. The wider product references associated with the business also include Pakola Vimto, Apple Sidra, and Forest Club Soda. The portfolio therefore spans flavored carbonated drinks, water, and related beverage products, although the green ice-cream-soda drink remains the central identity of the brand. In 2004, Mehran Bottlers and Pakistan Beverages began manufacturing cans in Pakistan. That year, Zeeshan Z. Habib took charge as chief executive officer of Mehran Bottlers. Packaging modernization was important for a brand competing across retail formats, particularly as packaged beverages increasingly moved beyond returnable glass bottles. In 2013, a capacity tax based on production and distribution capacity rather than actual output reportedly made glass-bottled products uneconomical for Pakola. The company discontinued production and distribution of its glass-bottled products, and after the tax system collapsed, Mehran Bottlers established PET production lines to recover market share. Pakola is produced by Mehran Bottlers and is distributed internationally, with availability reported in North America, Africa, Australia, Canada, the Middle East, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. The brand is presented as the only carbonated beverage manufactured in Pakistan with global export distribution. Its positioning combines national heritage, distinctive flavor, family-linked manufacturing, and diaspora appeal. The drink’s Ramadan serving tradition and its association with Pakistan’s Independence Day give it cultural significance beyond ordinary refreshment, while the broadening of flavors and packaging has enabled the brand to address changing consumer and distribution requirements.

Pakola emerged from the post-independence commercial ambitions of the Telii family. Seven brothers from Dhoraji migrated to Pakistan in 1947, and Haji Ali Mohammad Tali subsequently pursued the idea of a beverage that would represent the taste and identity of Pakistan. The result was named Pakola, a shortened form of Pakistan-Cola. Rather than relying on a conventional dark cola profile, the product was developed as a brightly colored flavored carbonated drink with a cream-soda character. The brand debuted on 14 August 1950 at a Pakistan Air Force base. The occasion was Pakistan’s Independence Day, and the launch was attended by Liaquat Ali Khan, the country’s first prime minister. This beginning gave Pakola an unusually strong connection to national celebration. Its visual identity and flavor also distinguished it from the international cola products that increasingly shaped the soft-drink market. In the early 1960s, Pakola acquired an important social use during Ramadan. Consumers began mixing the drink with chilled milk and presenting it in jugs at communal iftar gatherings. The practice helped popularize the beverage and made it part of a seasonal food-and-drink routine. This association with family gatherings and religious hospitality supported brand recognition in a way that conventional advertising alone might not have achieved. Industrial production later centered on Pakistan Beverages in Karachi’s S.I.T.E. industrial area. In 1979, Pakistan Beverages was announced as a new Pepsi production facility. The development was followed by the establishment of Mehran Bottlers, managed by Haji Ali Mohammad’s nephews, Zafir Habib and Arif Habib. Mehran Bottlers maintained production of Pakola while also manufacturing or distributing other drinks, including Apple Sidra and Bubble Up. The brand consequently became part of a wider Pakistani bottling enterprise with family continuity across generations. Pakola’s product range expanded beyond its original ice-cream-soda formulation. Orange and Raspberry variants appeared in 1985, Lychee in 1991, Fresh Lime in 2006, Water in 2015, and Pomegranate in 2016. Other products associated with the business include Pakola Vimto, Apple Sidra, and Forest Club Soda. These additions allowed the company to address different flavor preferences and beverage occasions while retaining the original green drink as its principal emblem. Packaging and manufacturing changed significantly in the 2000s. In 2004, Mehran Bottlers and Pakistan Beverages began producing cans in Pakistan. Zeeshan Z. Habib became chief executive officer of Mehran Bottlers during the same year. The move broadened the brand’s packaging capabilities and provided an alternative to traditional glass containers. A regulatory change created a later operational challenge. Pakistan’s capacity tax introduced in 2013 was based on overall production and distribution capacity rather than actual output. According to the referenced account, this structure was especially damaging for producers with smaller production volumes or narrower markets. Pakola therefore discontinued all glass-bottled production and distribution. After the capacity-tax system collapsed, Mehran Bottlers quickly created PET lines to restore competitiveness and recover market share. Pakola remains an active Pakistani beverage brand produced by Mehran Bottlers. It is reported as available in the United States, Africa, Australia, Canada, the Middle East, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. Its international reach is closely connected to Pakistani and South Asian communities, while its domestic identity rests on the Independence Day launch, the Ramadan milk-mixing tradition, and the enduring popularity of its distinctive ice-cream-soda flavor. The available reference material does not establish a current corporate owner, current headquarters, current chief executive, or a definitive corporate website.

• 2016

  Pomegranate variant introduced

  [1]Pakolaen.wikipedia.org

  Pakola added a Pomegranate flavor.

• 2015

  Pakola Water introduced

  [1]Pakolaen.wikipedia.org

  The brand expanded into bottled water.

• 2013

  Glass-bottle production is discontinued

  [1]Pakolaen.wikipedia.org

  The company stopped production and distribution of glass-bottled products after a capacity-tax regime adversely affected the economics of lower-volume beverage operations.

• 2006

  Fresh Lime variant introduced

  [1]Pakolaen.wikipedia.org

  Pakola added Fresh Lime to its product portfolio.

• 2004

  Can manufacturing begins

  [1]Pakolaen.wikipedia.org

  Mehran Bottlers and Pakistan Beverages began manufacturing cans in Pakistan.

• 1991

  Lychee variant introduced

  [1]Pakolaen.wikipedia.org

  The company added a Lychee flavor to the Pakola range.

• 1985

  Orange and Raspberry variants introduced

  [1]Pakolaen.wikipedia.org

  Pakola expanded its flavor range with Orange and Raspberry variants.

• 1979

  Pakistan Beverages becomes a Pepsi production facility

  [1]Pakolaen.wikipedia.org

  Pakistan Beverages in Karachi’s S.I.T.E. industrial area was announced as a new production facility for Pepsi, followed by the establishment of Mehran Bottlers.

• 1960

  Ramadan milk-and-Pakola tradition develops

  [1]Pakolaen.wikipedia.org

  Consumers began combining Pakola with chilled milk and serving it during communal iftars, helping increase the drink’s popularity.

• 1950

  Pakola is launched

  [1]Pakolaen.wikipedia.org

  Pakola debuted on 14 August at a Pakistan Air Force base during Pakistan’s Independence Day celebrations, with Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan in attendance.

• 1947

  Telii family migrates to Pakistan

  [1]Pakolaen.wikipedia.org

  Seven brothers of the Telii family from Dhoraji migrated to Pakistan, later providing the family background for Pakola’s creation.

A distinctly Pakistani flavored soft drink built around national identity, a recognizable green ice-cream-soda flavor, family beverage-manufacturing heritage, and international availability among Pakistani and South Asian consumers.

• Flavored carbonated soft drink · 1950

  Pakola Ice Cream Soda

  The original and defining Pakola product, this bright green carbonated drink is formulated around an artificial cream-soda flavor. It is the beverage most closely associated with the brand and is commonly consumed chilled. The drink’s distinctive color, sweet profile, and use in milk-based Ramadan servings have helped make it a recognizable part of Pakistan’s soft-drink culture.

• Fruit-flavored carbonated soft drink · 1985

  Pakola Orange

  An orange-flavored extension of the Pakola range introduced during the brand’s portfolio expansion in the 1980s. It broadens the brand beyond the signature cream-soda profile while retaining Pakola’s carbonated-soft-drink format.

• Fruit-flavored carbonated soft drink · 1985

  Pakola Raspberry

  A raspberry-flavored variant introduced alongside Pakola Orange in 1985. It represents the brand’s early effort to diversify its flavor portfolio beyond the original ice-cream-soda drink.

• Fruit-flavored carbonated soft drink · 1991

  Pakola Lychee

  A lychee-flavored carbonated beverage added to the Pakola portfolio in 1991, extending the range into a fruit flavor with strong relevance in South Asian beverage preferences.

• Citrus-flavored carbonated soft drink · 2006

  Pakola Fresh Lime

  A citrus-oriented extension introduced in 2006. Fresh Lime adds a more refreshing flavor direction to Pakola’s portfolio while remaining within the carbonated soft-drink category.

• Bottled water · 2015

  Pakola Water

  A bottled-water product introduced in 2015, representing an expansion from flavored carbonated drinks into a more general packaged-beverage category.

• Fruit-flavored carbonated soft drink · 2016

  Pakola Pomegranate

  A pomegranate-flavored variant introduced in 2016 as part of the continuing expansion of the Pakola flavor range.

• Carbonated soft drink

  Apple Sidra

  A beverage produced alongside Pakola within the Mehran Bottlers portfolio. The available reference identifies it as part of the company’s broader range but does not provide further product specifications.

• Club soda

  Forest Club Soda

  A club-soda product associated with the broader beverage portfolio connected to Pakola’s manufacturer. Detailed formulation, launch information, and current availability are not established in the supplied sources.

• Flavored beverage

  Pakola Vimto

  A Vimto-associated product listed among the beverages connected with Pakola’s portfolio. The supplied reference does not specify its launch date, formulation, or current market status.

• 2015

  Entry into bottled waterProduct launch

  Background

  Pakola’s portfolio had historically centered on flavored carbonated beverages.

  Action taken

  The brand introduced Pakola Water.

  Aftermath

  The move extended the brand into a non-carbonated packaged-beverage segment.

  Source

• 2013

  Withdrawal from glass-bottle productionStrategy

  Background

  A capacity tax calculated on production and distribution capacity placed pressure on beverage companies with lower output or smaller markets.

  Action taken

  Pakola discontinued production and distribution of all glass-bottled products.

  Aftermath

  After the capacity-tax system collapsed, Mehran Bottlers established PET lines to regain market share.

  Source

• 2004

  Move into can manufacturingOther

  Background

  The business sought to broaden its packaging and manufacturing capabilities.

  Action taken

  Mehran Bottlers and Pakistan Beverages began manufacturing cans in Pakistan.

  Aftermath

  Pakola gained access to a packaging format suited to modern retail and export distribution.

  Source

• 1979

  Expansion of the Karachi production networkStrategy

  Background

  Pakistan Beverages was announced as a new Pepsi production facility, changing the operating context of the Karachi beverage business associated with Pakola.

  Action taken

  Mehran Bottlers was established under the management of Zafir Habib and Arif Habib and continued producing Pakola alongside other beverages.

  Aftermath

  Pakola remained part of a broader family-linked bottling and beverage-manufacturing operation.

  Source

1. 1Pakolaen.wikipedia.org