ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani charity in the teeming coastal metropolis of Karachi is serving up a rare treat for the city’s Muslims ahead of their fast for the holy month of Ramadan — ostrich meat.
Expensive and seldom eaten in Pakistan, ostrich is deemed exotic in the mainly Muslim nation of 208 million people.
Volunteers stewed the red meat in cauldrons and served it in a chickpea curry to more than 500 residents before dawn broke on Tuesday, when Pakistani Muslims began their month-long Ramadan fast.
“Keeping in view of this deprivation, (wealthy) people supported us and like the previous year, we offered those dishes which even a middle class person cannot afford, let alone the poor,” said Zafar Abbas, the general secretary of the Jafaria Disaster Management Cell Welfare Foundation.
Abbas said the plan is to offer deer and other expensive cuisine in coming days during Ramadan, when practicing Muslims abstain from eating, drinking and smoking during daylight hours.
The move is likely to be welcomed by those who stuffed themselves with ostrich meat.
“It felt very nice. I had never eaten (ostrich),” said van driver Mohammad Hussain. “It was so wholesome that I feel no need to eat for the next two days.”
Pakistani charity dishes out ostrich as Ramadan treat for poor
Pakistani charity dishes out ostrich as Ramadan treat for poor
- Ostrich is deemed exotic in the mainly Muslim nation of 208 million people
- Volunteers served the stewed curry to more than 500 residents before dawn broke on Tuesday
Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi out of Big Bash League with knee injury
- Afridi will return home for rehabilitation ahead of the Twenty20 World Cup starting in February
- Afridi, on debut in Australian T20 league, took two wickets in four appearances for Brisbane Heat
Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi has picked up a knee injury in Australia’s Big Bash League and will return home for rehabilitation ahead of the Twenty20 World Cup starting in February, his team Brisbane Heat said on Tuesday.
Afridi, 25, suffered a knee cartilage injury fielding during Saturday’s win over Adelaide Strikers, Heat said in a statement.
“After consulting with the Pakistan Cricket Board’s medical staff during the past 24 hours, it was agreed that Afridi would ... return home for further treatment,” it added.
Afridi, making his debut in the Australian franchise-based T20 league, took two wickets in four appearances for Heat.
“The BBL was everything I had heard it would be – lots of good, skillful cricket. I have enjoyed the challenge,” Afridi said in a statement shared by the team.
Pakistan will begin their T20 World Cup campaign on February 7 with a group stage game against Netherlands in Colombo.
