- Title: PAKISTAN: KARACHI MAN CLAIMS TO HAVE LONGEST MOUSTACHE IN PAKISTAN
- Date: 15th July 2004
- Summary: SLATE INFORMATION
- Embargoed: 30th July 2004 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: KARACHI, PAKISTAN
- City:
- Country: Pakistan
- Topics: General,Quirky
- Reuters ID: LVABCT527FFAUF0PEBDH5IRS7564
- Aspect Ratio:
- Story Text: Pakistani man claims to have the longest moustache in the country.
A Pakistani man in the southern port city of Karachi is looking for a place in the record books claming the longest moustache in the country.
Mohammad Aslam claims to have 47 inches (almost 4 feet) long moustache.
Aslam, now 46, started growing his moustache since he was 26. He said he had never heard of anyone having longer moustache than his, in Pakistan.
"I never heard, or read in a newspaper someone having longer than 22 inches moustache (in Pakistan). I read about a man having 22 inches moustache, living in Thatta. I read in newspaper about another man from Rahimyar Khan who also had 22 inches moustache. I challenge, if anybody has longer moustache. I got published this (challenge) in a newspaper, also in a magazine, at that time the length of my moustache was 40 inches," said Aslam.
He said he was in his early youth when a big moustache poster on the wall of a hotel in his hometown inspired him to grow moustache.
"There was a hotel owner on Samundri road in my city Fasalabad whose name was Muneer Hussain. There was a big poster of his picture on hotel wall which had inspired me to grow my moustache," he said.
Born in a village of Toba Tek Singh near the industrial city of Faisalabad in Pakistan's Panjab province, Aslam only could acquire education up to 8th class (middle) and then had moved to Pakistan's business hub Karachi, desperately looking for a job.
But due to little education he could not get a job according to his aspiration and got into confectionery business.
"I had come to Karachi in 1973-74. Actually I had come here (in Karachi) to acquire a job in Steel Mills but I got into this bakery work," Aslam said.
Father of six children, Aslam said he was aiming at a world record of long moustache but unfortunately he fell ill and suffered from diabetes that had taken away body strength from him, and also his moustache is not growing any faster, he complained.
But, despite being a diabetic, he has hope his moustache would again start growing faster. He combs, dresses and applies mustard oil regularly to his moustache every morning before going to his work.
In neighbouring India, a man Badamsingh Gurjar Khatana from Kemri in Rajasthan had claimed to have a 13.5 foot-long moustache.
A current record is held by Kalyan Sain, whose moustache measures 11.1ft. The Guinness Book of Records say they haven't heard from Khatana, but says if he can provide documentary evidence then he may be the new record holder.
Growing moustaches is perceived a sign of masculinity in many rural areas of Pakistan. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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