Can't get sugar? Try sweets in your tea

As Pakistanis face an acute shortage of sugar, some families have found an easily available alternative to sweeten their tea: instead of a spoonful of sugar, they dissolve sweets in their tea.

Shaikh Kashif, an embroiderer for a boutique in Karachi, said his favourite was a Cadbury Eclair.

"We can't live without tea so we had to do something," said Kashif, 27, from his small workshop in an upmarket city neighbourhood.

"It just costs a rupee (Pakistan rupee) per candy and is easier to get these days than sugar," he said.

Pakistan is facing a shortage of more than 1 million tonnes of sugar largely because of a poor crop of sugarcane.

Supplies have been particularly scarce since last month when surging prices led to a Supreme Court order to millers to sell sugar at Rs 40/kg (48 U.S. cents), compared with the then-market price of about Rs 46/kg.

Government attempts to implement the court decision have led to confusion, sparking even higher market prices. Authorities are trying to get cheap supplies out to shoppers but sugar has almost disappeared at main retail markets in Karachi.

Where it is available, it sells for as much as Rs 70 a kg.

That's not a problem for Kashif who said the sweets he put in his tea gave it a chocolaty taste.

"Some in my family didn't like that so they're using a local candy which melts easily when you put it in a hot cup of tea," he said. "We had to think of something to replace sugar and it's worked for us."

($1 = 83.41 rupees)