Pakistanis drink tea, known locally as "chai", in a restaurant in Islamabad as a minister urges citizens to cut back on the popular drink in order to preserve foreign currency that pays to import the leaves used in brewing the beverage. "It's important to reduce the import but the government should take more initiative and start cultivating tea plants in the areas where tea plant production is possible," says Tanveer Iqbal, a University professor. Pakistan is the world's biggest importer of tea -- with the latest government figures showing it pays over $515 million a year to bring in the commodity, mostly from Kenya. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES