PESHAWAR: Muhammad Ibrahim stood at his shop, Ameer Sahib Juice Shop, earlier this month and stuck whole pistachios, cashew nuts, almonds, walnuts and raisins to a large milkshake glass covered in a gooey paste. 

He was preparing the glass for what many in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar describe as the “most unique,” and “most beautifully presented” shakes in town. Ibrahim and his brother, Ismail, co-owners of the shop they set up in 2005, grind dates, honey and chocolate to prepare a soft and sticky paste that they carefully apply on the outside of each glass, on which the dried fruits are then glued. The end product is a glass that looks like it is entirely made of dried fruit.

Into the glass are poured thick shakes made from a variety of seasonal fruits, with more edible decorations added on top to finish the offering. The drinks have become as much of a social media hit as they are loved by customers who throng the shop in Ramadan and throughout the rest of the year. 

"At takes at least 15-20 minutes to prepare the glass," Ibrahim told Arab News at Peshawar’s famed Namak Mandi where his store is located. "We make it in the morning and serve it at iftar time.”

Different sizes of the shakes retail for between $2-6, steep for a city like Peshawar, but which many people are still willing to pay due to the uniqueness of the drinks' presentation and taste. 

"People from different parts of the country come for this dried fruit juice,” Ibrahim said, saying he regularly served customers from cities across the KP province, of which Peshawar is the capital, as well as from the Punjab province and the federal capital, Islamabad. 

Ayub Sher, a resident of KP's Bajaur district who works in Peshawar, visited Ibrahim's shop last week and was all praise for the shakes.

“We came here to try this juice and to see if it has taste or not. When we tried it, we found it that it is fantastic,” he told Arab News as he scooped some thick shake out of the glass with a long spoon. 

“Forget about the taste, we haven’t seen any juice presented to us this beautifully.”
 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's security forces said 16 militants were killed on Sunday in a remote northwestern border area as they tried to cross the border with neighboring Afghanistan.
A military statement said the “Khwarij,” a phrase the government uses for Pakistani Taliban, attempted to enter Pakistan from Ghulam Khan, a border town in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
It said Pakistan has long urged Afghanistan to ensure effective border management. Pakistan often accuses the Taliban government in Afghanistan of turning a blind eye to militants operating near the frontier. Kabul denies the charge.
The statement said the Afghan government “is expected to fulfil its obligations and deny the use of Afghan soil” by militants “for perpetuating acts of terrorism against Pakistan.”
Pakistan has witnessed a surge in militant attacks, most claimed by Pakistani Taliban who are known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, and are allies of the Afghan Taliban.
TTP is a separate group and has been emboldened since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021. Many TTP leaders and fighters have found sanctuary in Afghanistan since then