Intro
In 1943, the late Mr. Shah Nawaz (died in 1990) founded Shahnawaz Ltd. (PSX: SHEZ) in Agra and Delhi (British-India) under the Trade Marks Act of 1940. He is also called Chaudhry Shahnawaz (see by Mirza Masroor Ahmad in 2013)(he was mentioned in a Friday sermon by Mirza Tahir Ahmad in Oct-3-1997, Mirza Tahir Ahmad praised Shah Nawaz and gave him his story as an example of someone who showered the Khalifa with kickbacks).
In 1948, Zafrullah Khan was married to Badar Begum, however, after partition, Badar Begum seems to have filed for divorce and then married the famous Shahnawaz (see also “Zafar Ullah Khan Qadyani” by Muhammad Tahir Abdul Razzaq). Dr. Syed Holy Spirit claims that the grandson of Zafrullah Khan was famously married to the daughter of Mirza Tahir Ahmad which ended in a quick divorce.
In 1948, after partition, the Shahnawaz Ltd registered Head Office is located in the port city of Karachi, Pakistan.
In the late 1950‘s, Shezan was very much a family affair, owned by the family only, they also owned 2 restaurants, “Shezan Continental” and “Shezan Clay Oven”, both on the lower mall in Lahore. This was a time when there weren’t many dining options available to a rising upper middle-class. The lower mall was a swanky area surrounded by both government and private offices, which made restaurants that provided good, familiar food in a place with a fashionable ambiance a thriving business. When the Ahmadiyya family that owned Shezan decided to sell, Chaudhry Meher-ud-Din decided to buy both restaurants from them also. Chaudhry Meher-ud-Din was a shrewd businessman who owned automobile showrooms in Lahore, Meher-ud-Din recognised the potential of Shezan. It was a recognisable brand name, had a legacy, and had been built over the years over solid business fundamentals and catered to a specific need. He also knew that inside the restaurant was a bakery as well, which he could separate and expand the business. Meher-ud-Din’s ambitions extended beyond this. He also wanted to acquire a third asset that Shahnawaz Ltd had — the Shezan International factory which produced and packaged products like the iconic Shezan Mango juice, squashes, pickles, jams, marmalades, ketchup etc. This is where things get a little complicated. While the two restaurants were sold to the Chaudhry family, Shahnawaz Ltd decided to keep Shezan International Factory. The family had put in a lot of work to build up the business and while the threat to their lives and property was very real, they got many reassurances from the government of Pakistan and decided to keep this side of their business. This resulted in a situation where there were two different entities operating under the Shezan name. There were the restaurants and bakery owned by Chaudhry Meher-ud-Din and the factory owned by Shahnawaz Ltd. The restaurants were in the fine dining and bakeries business, and the factory produced and packaged the iconic Shezan Mango juice, squashes, pickles, jams, marmalades, ketchup and other such products.
In 1964, Shezan International was incorporated on May 13; conceived as a joint venture by the Shahnawaz Group, Pakistan and Alliance Industrial Development Corporation, United States in 1964. Via Tahrik e Jadeed, there were some other Ahmadi companies, see here. It seems that the Ahmadiyya movement might have funded Shezan from its inception and a layman Qadiani was given charge. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) provided a loan of 2.5 million US dollars to support the purchase of necessary equipment (See “Corporate finance in Pakistan: Case studies from an emerging market”. [Karachi]: Oxford University Press: Lahore University of Management Sciences. 13 May 1999 – via Internet Archive).
In 1984, Mr. Shah Nawaz donated heavily to the Russian mis-translation of the Quran that the Ahmadiyya group published.
In 2012, campaigns by traditionally conservative Islamic groups found a more liberal voice, amongst these were lawyers from Lahore Bar Association.[5] Soon thereafter, The Lahore Bar Association also banned Shezan products from its premises and subordinate court complexes, threatening tough actions against anyone found buying the drink. The move came as 100 lawyers unanimously voted for the ban on Shezan drinks and products.[6]
In 2013, Mirza Masroor Ahmad mentioned Chaudhary Shah Nawaz in a Friday sermon and explained how Chaudhary Shah Nawaz helped Sheikh Rehmatullah, who recently passed away on 12 September after brief illness at the age of 94. He had accepted Ahmadiyyat in 1943 at the age of 24. He worked in Delhi and later Lahore. He then relocated to Karachi and worked with Chaudhry Shahnawaz Sahib in pharmaceutical import.
In 2015, Chaudhry Shah Nawaz of Karachi was mentioned in an official Ahmadiyya book about financial sacrificing. Chaudhry Shah Nawaz of Karachi was listed as someone who bore all the costs to get the Quran mis-translated into Russian and Japanese.
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Other Qadiani companies
Shahtaj Textiles
Shahtaj Ghee Mills
Shezan Beverages
Idris Pharmaceuticals
Shahnawaz Ltd
OCS Courier
Punjab Oil Mills
Comstar (TM)
MTA TV Group
Jadoo TV Group
Sony Cycle Industries
Masters Textile Mills
Universal Stabilizers
Roomi travellers
Silver Spoon Restaurant, Sialkot
Combined Textiles
Clifton ShoesQadiani Products
Zaiqa Ghee and Oil
Mooli Soap
Gajar Soap
Speed Juices and Drinks
Shezan Mango Juice
Can-Olive oil
King Banaspati
Shan Aata
Raja Soup
Pearl Banaspati,
Speed Energy Drink
Zaiqa Ghee and Cooking Oil
Shezan Juice
Shezan Ketchup
Shezan Pickle
Shezan Samarqand
Sangam Doodh
Thermoplastic
Rehman Cone MehndiQadiani Medicine companies
Idris Pharmaceuticals
F.B Homeo Company
Lexo Homeo Company
Curative Homeo Company
Warson Homeo Company
Khursheed Unani Dawakhana
Matab-e-HameedHospitals
Rasheed Hospital, Lahore
Adil Hospital, Lahore
Avicenna Medical College & Hospital, Lahore
Tahir Heart Institute, Chenab Nagar
Fazle Omar Hospital, Chenab NagarSchools and Colleges
Nusrat Jehan Girls College
Abdusalam School of Sciences
Mirza Muzaffar Ahmad School of Management & Commerce
Zafarullah Khan Social Sciences & Languages School
Nusrat Jehan Boys College
Tahir Primary School
Nasir Higher Secondary School
Nusrat Jehan Girls Academy School
Nusrat Jehan Boys Academy School
Bait ul Hamd High School
Mariam Girls High School
Mariam Siddiqa Higher Secondary School
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1943
In 1943, the late Mr. Shah Nawaz founded his business in Agra and Delhi. He is also called Chaudhry Shahnawaz. Mr. Shah Nawaz died on March 23rd, 1990 and his life was covered in the Al-Fazl. The Al-Fazl tells us that in 1984, he donated heavily to the russian translation of the Quran that the Ahmadiyya group published. The Company is a Public Limited Company incorporated in Pakistan and is listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange. The registered office of the Company is situated at 56 – Bund Road, Lahore, Pakistan. It is engaged in the manufacturing, trading and sale of juices, pickles, jams, ketchups etc., based upon or derived from fruits and vegetables.
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1948
Did he steal Zafrullah Khan‘s wife?
In 1948, Zafrullah Khan was still married to Badar Begum, however, after partition, Badar Begum seems to have filed for divorce and then married the famous Shahnawaz (see also “Zafar Ullah Khan Qadyani” by Muhammad Tahir Abdul Razzaq). Dr. Syed Holy Spirit claims that the grandson of Zafrullah Khan was famously married to the daughter of Mirza Tahir Ahmad which ended in a quick divorce.
In 1948, after partition, the company’s registered Head Office is located in the port city of Karachi, Pakistan.
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1964
https://ahmadiyyafactcheckblog.com/2021/01/04/what-is-tahrik-e-jadid/
In 1964, Shezan International was incorporated on May 13; conceived as a joint venture by the Shahnawaz Group, Pakistan and Alliance Industrial Development Corporation, United States in 1964. Via Tahrik e Jadeed, there were some other Ahmadi companies, see here. It seems that the Ahmadiyya movement might have funded Shezan from its inception and a layman Qadiani was given charge.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________2012 controversy
In 2012, campaigns by traditionally conservative Islamic groups found a more liberal voice, amongst these were lawyers from Lahore Bar Association.[5] Soon thereafter, The Lahore Bar Association also banned Shezan products from its premises and subordinate court complexes, threatening tough actions against anyone found buying the drink. The move came as 100 lawyers unanimously voted for the ban on Shezan drinks and products.[6]
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2013
https://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/2013-09-20.html
In 2013, Mirza Masroor Ahmad mentioned Chaudhary Shah Nawaz in a Friday sermon and explained how Chaudhary Shah Nawaz helped Sheikh Rehmatullah, who recently passed away on 12 September after brief illness at the age of 94. He had accepted Ahmadiyyat in 1943 at the age of 24. He worked in Delhi and later Lahore. He then relocated to Karachi and worked with Chaudhry Shahnawaz Sahib in pharmaceutical import.
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2022
https://www.dawn.com/news/1695404
https://ahmadiyyafactcheckblog.com/2022/06/27/shezan-international-qadiani-company-has-won-in-court-vs-shezan-bakers-and-confectioners-muslim-company-over-use-of-the-word-shezan/
The company states that it believes in the Finality of Prophethood of Prophet Muhammad (Peace & Mercy of Allah be upon him) and that the rumor that they (Shezan company) is owned and run by Qadyanis is a propaganda to defame them.
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2024
Even in 2024, a video was posted online of a Muslim man complaining about Shezan being served as he returned from Hajj.
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2025
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https://profit.pakistantoday.com.pk/2022/07/31/shezan-whats-in-a-name/
2022
Shezan – What’s in a name?
A history steeped in troubles, tribulations, and complications is at a turning point with the settling of a 33-year-old case over the Shezan name.
In 1975, a simple transaction was about to inextricably change the fates of two business families in Lahore, launching them in a three-decade-long legal dispute over a name — Shezan.
In September 1974, the Bhutto administration declared the Ahmadiyya community non-Muslims, and a number of prominent Ahmadiyya community members, among them leading business owners, prepared to pack up their assets and leave the country.
While the community was no stranger to persecution, for many the constitutional enshrinement against their faith was the last straw. Among those looking to sell their business was Shezan Restaurants and Bakeries. Owned by Shahnawaz Ltd, Shezan was very much a family affair and had been around since the late 1950s. They were pioneers of bringing desi and continental food together with fine dining. They had two restaurants in Lahore, Shezan Continental and Shezan Clay Oven, both on the lower mall.
This was a time when there weren’t many dining options available to a rising upper middle-class. The lower mall was a swanky area surrounded by both government and private offices, which made restaurants that provided good, familiar food in a place with a fashionable ambiance a thriving business. So when the Ahmadiyya family that owned Shezan decided to sell, Chaudhry Meher-ud-Din decided to buy both restaurants from them.
A shrewd businessman who owned automobile showrooms in Lahore, Meher-ud-Din recognised the potential of Shezan. It was a recognisable brand name, had a legacy, and had been built over the years over solid business fundamentals and catered to a specific need. He also knew that inside the restaurant was a bakery as well, which he could separate and expand the business. Meher-ud-Din’s ambitions extended beyond this. He also wanted to acquire a third asset that Shahnawaz Ltd had — the Shezan International factory which produced and packaged products like the iconic Shezan Mango juice, squashes, pickles, jams, marmalades, ketchup etc.
This is where things get a little complicated. While the two restaurants were sold to the Chaudhry family, Shahnawaz Ltd decided to keep Shezan International Factory. The family had put in a lot of work to build up the business and while the threat to their lives and property was very real, they got many reassurances from the government of Pakistan and decided to keep this side of their business.
This resulted in a situation where there were two different entities operating under the Shezan name. There were the restaurants and bakery owned by Chaudhry Meher-ud-Din and the factory owned by Shahnawaz Ltd. The restaurants were in the fine dining and bakeries business, and the factory produced and packaged the iconic Shezan Mango juice, squashes, pickles, jams, marmalades, ketchup and other such products.
For the first few years things ran as smoothly as they could. But then came the trademark dispute in 1988, after which came the lawsuits. After a legal battle that has lasted more than three decades, the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) recently ruled in favour of Shahnawaz Ltd — the original owners of the Shezan name. Essentially, the case was less about the right to the name and more about who would get to use the Shezan trademark to expand their business. This is how it all went down.
The story after the sale
Shezan hasn’t had an easy time in Pakistan since 1975. Chaudhry Meher-ud-Din was from a staunchly Sunni family and Shezan bakeries all around Lahore prominently display a declaration of their faith on their windows. Despite this, whenever violence against the Ahmadiyya community rears its ugly head, Shezan Bakeries are often the first targets.
Despite this prejudice, the Shezan name itself has made a name for itself also on the basis of consistency and reliability that makes it stand out. Of course, the Shezan Bakeries we know today are neither high-brow nor fashionable and that has been the product of conscious decisions.
When Chauhdhry Meher-ud-Din had originally bought the restaurants, his eyes had been on the in-house bakeries. At that time, if anything was served from inside a restaurant, sales tax of 16%, value added tax at one percent with special excise duty on top were added to the bill. The bakery items were quite popular which is why Meher-ud-Din decided to separate the bakery from the restaurant which resulted in the prices dropping and demand rising.
Immediately, the bakery was a big hit. They also began to stock their shelves with products from Shezan International. Since it was not very well known that the two entities had separate owners, people thought that Shezan Bakeries were selling their own brand of products. The arrangement was a profitable one for both sides so no one brought it up at this point. The dispute around the trademark actually arose in 1988.
At this point, Shezan Bakeries were becoming a bigger deal than the restaurants which had dwindled in popularity in the face of new options popping up – as tends to happen to legacy family dining establishments. The Chaudhry family decided that it was time to expand the business. Shezan Bakeries all over Lahore had a range of very recognizable products. These included things like their lemon tarts, cheese puffs, bakery biscuits and the like. These products were sold by weight at the bakeries. This meant you would ask for a certain amount of biscuits for example, a staffer would weigh them in a Shezan labelled box, pack them and then you would pay. Those biscuits were then taken home as a tea-time staple or given as a gift by people visiting friends and family.
The Chaudhries wanted to take these popular items and sell them not just at their bakery but outside of it as well. The concept was that the products would be packaged in plastic under the Shezan name and sold at utility stores, supermarkets, and even other smaller bakeries. This, of course, was not cool with Shahnawaz Ltd.
Shahnawaz Ltd had feared something like this would happen. The Shezan trademark was originally under the ownership of Shahnawaz Ltd. However, when they decided to keep Shezan International they registered it under an entity called ‘Shezan Services’ and transferred the trademark to them. For simplicity, we will continue to refer to the owners of the Shezan International factory as Shahnawaz Ltd.
Up until this point, they were the ones packaging products under the Shezan name and selling them ahead. Meanwhile, the Chauhdhry family wanted to expand. On Dec 29th 1988, Shezan Bakers filed an application with the Registrar of TradeMarks seeking registration of the trademark ‘Shezan’ in their name. The firm intended to use the name for its patties, cheese straw, chicken sandwiches, chicken spring rolls and a number of other items. The application was eventually published in the Trade Marks Journal.
The registrar advertised the application in the journal for the purpose of inviting opposition. Shahnawaz Ltd, did so under the Trade Marks Act of 1940.
So finally in 1988 there was a clear chasm between Shezan International which produces the iconic mango juice, jams, pickles, and Shezan Bakers which produces its own line of iconic products including the lemon tarts, sandwiches, and patties. The arguments in court were heated and prolonged.
Over a 33-year period, the original owners Shahnawaz Ltd argued that the trademark Shezan was their house mark since the entity was an internationally known maker of jams and jellies, further contending that due to continuous and extensive use under the label of Shezan, it has become very popular in the country.
They also accused Shezan Bakers of imitating the trademark Shezan for their bakery and confectionery products. In their turn, Shezan Bakers furnished the copy of an agreement dated Feb 19, 1975. The petitioner objected that the agreement had been executed by a third party.
The details and legal technicalities are best left to the lawyers. But the final decision that came from the Supreme Court authored by a two-judge bench, consisting of Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Justice Yahya Afridi, ruled in favour of the original owners — meaning Shahnawaz Ltd the family from whom Chauhdry Meher-ud-Din bought Shezan.
What are the business implications of the decision?
In short, Shezan Bakeries still get to keep their name but they cannot package their products and sell them to retailers in bulk under the Shezan name. So if Shezan Bakeries, now run and managed by Meher-ud-Din’s grandson, is still allowed to keep the name for their bakeries, what has changed?
Essentially, the legal battle was more about the right to expansion using the Shezan name than it was about the name itself. For a long time, in the public eye Shezan the bakery and the producers of the juice and jams were the same thing — or at most a split in an old family business. Because of the added baggage of anti-Ahmadiyya violence against them, there are a lot of urban legends and rumours regarding the ownership but none have quite stuck.
Chaudhry’s family, which owns Shezan Bakeries since February 19, 1975, when the restaurants were signed off by Shahnawaz Ltd to Shezan Services, claims that ever since they bought the Shezan restaurants, any expansions they’ve accomplished are a fruit of their business decisions, their investment, and their efforts, and thus should belong to them, including the name and brand identity that the original owners signed off to them. They also claim that they should not have to change the name because they’ve built this brand over half a century.
Shezan Services (the side Shahnawaz Ltd is one) has no interest in owning the name where it concerns jams, jellies, marmalades and the like. They also highlight that they haven’t copied the name and brand (logo, identity, et al) exactly as the original, and that there are slight differences, especially with reference to the Chef’s mascot icon for their bakeries business.
The case of owning the name and brand Shezan for the bakery and confectionery business, has been going on for around 33 years. The current situation is such that the Supreme Court has recently ruled in favour of Shezan Services:
However, this decision does come with certain limitations, the most major one being that as per the original agreement, the buyers of the restaurants were allowed to operate within territories of Lahore Division only.
This sets huge limitations to the businesses of Shezan Services (owners of the restaurants and bakeries), as they can’t expand into even other cities of Pakistan, let alone take their businesses to international levels.
On the one hand, Chaudhry envisions smooth operations when it comes to running their bakery business on a phone application, which is the logical next step in this digital age. The app they spoke of, by the way, is up and running, and can be downloaded here.
On the other hand, though, one wonders if it wouldn’t be in the best interest of Shezan services to rebrand themselves altogether, so they may continue to grow and prosper.
What else is there to it?
Shezan Bakers had been facing several issues despite the popularity of their products. For one, they have had to counter efforts by zealots who would go around actively urging people not to buy from Shezan Bakers as the business belonged to Ahmedis. They even had to print out and paste a declaration of their faith outside all their bakeries.
Secondly, they were also facing quite a few counterfeiters, who were going around using the name and slightly altered brand identity of Shezan Bakers for similar products.
It is not easy to start, run, maintain, and build a business to heights previously unknown. Chaudhry’s family has invested over 50 years of money and effort into building a bakery and confectionery business that is known for its taste, quality, and standards. Several others, such as Krisco, have tried to replicate the bakery business, but have fizzled out in no time.
Having worked so hard to build a following over half a century, it only felt right to obtain a trademark and register their brand officially, to be known for the right things, and to be able to protect their business.
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Links and Related Essay’s
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shezan_International
Shezan – What’s in a name? – Profit by Pakistan Today
https://profit.pakistantoday.com.pk/2022/07/31/shezan-whats-in-a-name/
http://www.khatm-e-nubuwwat.org/english/pamphlets/12.htm
https://www.completecontroller.com/how-to-spot-financial-fraud-in-a-non-profit-the-warning-signs/
https://ahmadiyyafactcheckblog.com/2016/10/15/mirza-masroor-ahmad-owned-qadir-entreprises/
https://ahmadiyyafactcheckblog.com/2017/07/28/ahmadiyya-and-the-panama-papers-2017-update/
https://ahmadiyyafactcheckblog.com/2016/12/28/ahmadiyya-and-the-panama-papers/
https://ahmadiyyafactcheckblog.com/2018/10/25/ahmadiyya-colluded-with-the-world-bank-1980/
https://ahmadiyyafactcheckblog.com/2018/09/21/who-is-mirza-muzzafar-ahmad/
https://ahmadiyyafactcheckblog.com/2018/01/05/the-ahmadi-finances-all-the-sources/
https://ahmadiyyafactcheckblog.com/2017/09/07/the-goal-of-ahmadiyya-is-to-acquire-their-own-country/
https://ahmadiyyafactcheckblog.com/2017/09/01/the-ahmadiyya-playbook-in-africa/
https://ahmadiyyafactcheckblog.com/2016/10/15/sind-holdings-was-owned-by-mirza-muzzafar-ahmad/
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