Karachi’s ‘seafood heaven’ offers unique gastronomical experience to fish lovers

The picture taken on February 2, 2023 shows a food joint called Keamari Seafood in Karachi, Pakistan. (AN Photo)
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Updated 05 February 2023

Karachi’s ‘seafood heaven’ offers unique gastronomical experience to fish lovers

  • Situated right next to Pakistan’s largest port, Seafood Street offers a variety of fish in different forms
  • The area housed only a few shops a few decades ago before it turned into a major spot for families

KARACHI: People in Pakistan’s southern Karachi port city usually avoid using the busy Napier Mole Road on winter evenings due to huge trailers causing traffic congestion, but hundreds of them can now be seen on this route in their vehicles while trying to reach to a street that is popularly known as “seafood heaven” to tantalize their tastebuds.

Known for its diverse and multicultural environment, Karachi offers a variety of cuisines that can be found in different corners of the city. Seafood Street, which is situated in the midst of centuries-old buildings near the country’s largest port, is yet another addition to the thriving food culture of the seaside metropolis.

A few decades ago, the area only housed a few shops, mostly serving fried fish cooked in large woks. But now, the street has dozens of small kiosks, or “fish points” as people prefer to call them, that serve croaker, silver pomfret, rasbora dandia and red snapper cooked in a variety of ways before being served with chutney and flatbread.

“My father started [selling] fish here,” Muhammad Rashid, owner of Rashid Seafood, told Arab News. “Then my brother came in. But when I took over, I started offering fish barbecue [using] my mother’s [recipe].”




The picture taken on February 2, 2023, shows a food joint called Rashid Seafood in Karachi, Pakistan. (AN Photo)

He said that his idea of adding grilled fish to the menu was an instant hit and changed the course of his business.

While the variety of fish offered by food stalls became the unique selling point of the street, Keamari Sea Food, another food joint, came up with the idea of creating a seating area for families. The model was also adopted by others, including Rashid. Muhammad Usman, the owner of the eatery who first took this initiative, said the street started becoming famous after families started visiting it in 2019.

“Another attraction of this market is that the prices are reasonable,” he said while speaking to Arab News. “The fish is fresh out of the water [because] the sea is close to us.”

Usman added that foreigners, including many Arabs, had started visiting the place after it earned its fame.

While people throng the street to enjoy a wide variety of fish, prawn karahi and crab soup are other major attractions for foodies amid winter season.




The picture taken on February 2, 2023, shows a man cooking crab soup in Karachi, Pakistan. (AN Photo)

“We tried grilled mushka [croaker] fish, grilled prawns, prawn karahi, and some white pomfret, and also their chow mein,” Siddiqa Asif, a visitor, said. 
“Everything was really good.”

Asif said it was a “great idea” to visit the place in winter, adding she wanted to try something more suitable for the season.

“It is quite far, and I think that’s also a kind of attraction for the people of Karachi that they are going somewhere to enjoy the weather and the food,” she said.

Afshan Asif, a housewife who visited the food street along with her family and ordered the famous prawn karahi, barbecue prawns, grilled croaker and red snapper, said it was her first experience with her family at the venue which had turned out to be “wonderful.”

“[It] felt good to come here,” she said. “Families have come over [too]. I didn’t expect to see families like this here, but it is good. The food is really good.

The weather is also better, and this is the best time to have fish or other seafood.”




The picture taken on February 2, 2023, shows a man grilling a fish in Karachi, Pakistan. (AN Photo)

Asad Aftab, a Karachi-based businessman, said the proximity of the street to the sea and old buildings surrounding it add to its value, especially to people his age.

“I see heritage buildings [and] walls here made of blocks that used to be there in old times,” he said, “I felt as if I went back into my past.”

Aftab said everyone had a choice, but he strongly recommended people to visit the street since they would enjoy it.

“I am sitting in a very relaxed environment,” he said after finishing his meal. “The weather is also good today, it’s cold. Fish tastes even better in this weather.”

“Next time, I will return in summer and see how it feels,” he continued. “But [in] winter, street food and Keamari are a great combination.”


Ex-PM Khan to appear before Islamabad court seeking bail in cases over clashes with police 

Updated 14 sec ago

Ex-PM Khan to appear before Islamabad court seeking bail in cases over clashes with police 

  • Hundreds of Khan supporters clashed with police on March 18 as the ex-PM led a caravan to an Islamabad court 
  • Islamabad administration has banned public gatherings in the capital, tightened security ahead of Khan appearance 

ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan will appear before an Islamabad court on Monday, today, to seek bail in five cases registered against him over clashes between his supporters and the capital police earlier this month. 

Hundreds of Khan supporters clashed with police on March 18 as the former premier led a caravan to the Pakistani capital from the eastern city of Lahore to appear before an Islamabad district court in a case involving the sale of state gifts. 

The clashes left several people injured on both sides and forced the court to adjourn proceedings of the case, popularly known as the Toshakhana reference, until March 30. However, Khan was booked in five more cases over clashes outside the Islamabad judicial complex. 

The Islamabad administration has imposed Section 144 (ban on public gatherings and display of weapons) in the federal capital, whereas the capital police have tightened security ahead of Khan’s appearance before the court. 

“Section 144 is in force in Islamabad. Violators will be arrested,” the Islamabad police said on Twitter. “In the light of court orders, only concerned persons will be allowed to enter the court premises.” 

Khan, who was ousted in a parliamentary no-trust vote in April last year, has for months been agitating against the government of PM Shehbaz Sharif and pushing for snap elections nationwide. 

He later dissolved two provincial legislatures ruled by his party and allies in a bid to pressure the government into announcing snap polls. 

The former premier faces dozens of cases across the country, with charges against him ranging from terrorism to sedition. 


In southwest Pakistan, fried vermicelli is everyone’s favorite Ramadan delight

Updated 17 min 23 sec ago

In southwest Pakistan, fried vermicelli is everyone’s favorite Ramadan delight

  • Many Pakistanis, fasting from dawn till dusk, prefer the staple, called ‘pheni,’ with hot milk in pre-dawn meals
  • Customers complain of increase in pheni’s price, bakery owners attribute it to soaring inflation across the country

QUETTA: After offering afternoon prayers, 54-year-old Muhammad Aziz starts displaying buckets filled with round bunches of fried vermicelli, called “pheni,” to attract customers to a local sweet shop in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta. Aziz, who works as a manager at the sweet shop, says the demand for the staple food item “increases” in southwest Pakistan during the holy month of Ramadan. 

In southwestern Pakistan, pheni is a Ramadan delight as people love to consume the light food item in their pre-dawn sehri meals. Vermicelli enthusiasts often consume it with hot milk and tea, which helps them avoid heavier meals during suhoor. 

“The demand for pheni increases in Ramadan because customers eat it with hot milk in their suhoor,” Aziz, 54, told Arab News on Saturday. “In Ramadan, we sell almost five to six buckets a day and each bucket contains 15-20 kilogram of pheni.” 

Mumtaz Ali, 43, has been making vermicelli for the last 20 years at Quality Sweets, a famous sweet shop in Quetta. Ali says his team, which comprises 12 members, works for 15 hours a day during Ramadan to prepare six sacks of vermicelli. 

Each sack weighs 85kg. 

“In Ramadan we hire extra labor who work in the vermicelli section for a month but we stop making pheni after the 23rd of Ramadan,” Ali told Arab News, adding that the focus then shifts toward confectionary items for Eid. 

Explaining how the snack is prepared, Ali says “high quality” of flour is used to make vermicelli, which his workers knead with their hands and through machines. Next, it is mixed with water and salt. 

“Then we apply ghee to it and later we stretch the dough and make them into dough balls,” he said. “We then bring it here [to the kitchen] and fry it here to bring it into this position.” 

With inflation soaring to a decades-high in the country, bakery owners in Balochistan have also increased the price of pheni this Ramadan season. A kilogram of the round, slender threads has risen to Rs650 ($2.30) from Rs500 ($1.74) last year. 

“Inflation increases day-by-day, previously it increased in a year but now prices jump within a week,” Muhammad Javed Butt, who owns a bakery in Quetta, told Arab News. 

“Flour and oil prices have increased which is why we have to slightly up the [pheni’s] rate to maintain its quality.” 

But it nonetheless remains a part of people’s pre-dawn meals in Balochistan, he added. 

Khalid Hussain, 65, who buys pheni for his family every Ramadan, said they have it in sehr and iftar with milk. 

“Children love it a lot, they mix it with milk and really enjoy it,” he told Arab News. 

Hussain said there may be many baked items for Ramadan but pheni is the “most eatable” one. 


'Wonderful' Afghanistan thump Pakistan to claim T20I series in Sharjah

Updated 33 min 28 sec ago

'Wonderful' Afghanistan thump Pakistan to claim T20I series in Sharjah

  • Needing 22 off last two overs, Najibullah and Mohammad Nabi hit a six each in penultimate over
  • Zadran then hit the winning boundary off Zaman Khan’s last over to chase down the 131-run target

SHARJAH: Afghanistan overcame late nerves in the closing overs to beat Pakistan by seven wickets in the second Twenty20 international on Sunday and take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-game series. 

Needing 30 off the last three overs, and 22 from the last two, Najibullah Zadran and Mohammad Nabi hit a six each off pace bowler Naseem Shah in the penultimate over to reduce the target to five runs. 

Zadran then hit the winning boundary off Zaman Khan’s last over to chase down the 131-run target with one ball to spare. 

“It’s a great honor and pleasure to lead this wonderful team,” said Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan. 

“It was a great effort with the ball, and then we took it deep and finished it.” 

He added: “I think 130 was a good total. We tried our best to take it deep and finish it. Our strategy was to go out there and make sure you take responsibility. We have players to finish it like Nabi and Najib.” 

Pakistan’s 130-6 in 20 overs was built around a sedate 57-ball 64 not out by all-rounder Imad Wasim — his maiden T20I half century. 

This was Afghanistan’s first bilateral T20I series against any of the top six teams — India, England, Pakistan, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. 

They have previously won a T20I series each against the West Indies and Bangladesh and five in five against Zimbabwe. 

Rahmanullah Gurbaz (44 off 49 balls) and Ibrahim Zadran (38 off 40 balls) set the platform during their 56-run second wicket stand. 

However, their slow batting left Afghanistan needing to score 46 off the last 30 balls. 

Najibullah (23) and Nabi (14) remained unbeaten to seal the victory. 

“Our motive for this series was to check out talented young players and we have to back them in the future,” said Pakistan captain Shadab Khan. 

Earlier, Pakistan’s recovery was led by Imad who hit two sixes and three boundaries to rescue Pakistan from 63-5 after winning the toss and batting. 

Imad and Shadab (32) added 67 for the sixth wicket. 

Pakistan had got off to a disastrous start with left-arm pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi claiming Saim Ayub and Abdullah Shafique, both for nought, in the first over of the innings. 

Farooqi finished with 2-19 in his four overs. 

Shafique has now been dismissed for nought on four successive occasions in five T20Is since making his debut in November 2020. 

Mohammad Haris hit a six and two boundaries in his nine-ball 15 while Tayyab Tahir scored a 23-ball 13. 

The stockily built Azam Khan, who rose to fame with his power hitting in the recent Pakistan Super League, fell to spinner Rashid Khan, scoring just one after his nought in the first game. 

Shadab, who is deputising for rested skipper Babar Azam, hit three boundaries in his 25-ball knock. 

Imad’s previous best of 47 had come against Sri Lanka in Lahore in 2019. 


‘Friendly countries’ expected to fulfill commitments for IMF deal — finance minister

Updated 26 March 2023

‘Friendly countries’ expected to fulfill commitments for IMF deal — finance minister

  • Pakistan would not default, government doing its best to steer Pakistan out of “difficult situation,” says Ishaq Dar
  • Dar had said Pakistan’s IMF deal being delayed over friendly countries’ assurances to fund balance of payment gap

ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said on Sunday that “friendly countries” were expected to materialize their commitments to Pakistan which would pave the way for Islamabad to finalize its loan revival deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said in a report.

Earlier this month, Dar told Pakistani parliamentarians that Pakistan’s deal with the IMF is being delayed as the global lender wants assurances and commitments from “friendly countries” to fund its balance of payments gap to materialize.

Though the finance minister did not name the “friendly countries” specifically, it is understood that he was referring to Saudi Arabia, China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). All three are close allies of Pakistan who have bailed come to its aid whenever Islamabad faces an economic crisis.

Pakistan has been struggling to revive a stalled loan program with the IMF which would unlock a tranche of $1.1 billion, crucial for the country to stave off a balance of payment crisis. The South Asian country’s reserves have dipped to historic lows over the past couple of months, as it desperately seeks external financing to pay off its debts and sustain its economy.

“Addressing as chief guest an Iftar dinner hosted by the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) in honor of foreign diplomats, Dar said that friendly countries were expected to materialize their commitments with Pakistan that would pave the way to close the deal with the IMF and revive the economy,” the APP said.

The finance minister said Pakistan “would not default,” adding that the government was doing its best to steer the country out of a “difficult situation” to ensure its sustainable growth.

While Pakistan desperately waits for the IMF to revive the stalled loan program, the South Asian country grapples with decades-high inflation and a deepening political crisis. Pakistan’s restrictions on imports — in its bid to prevent the outflow of dollars — have caused banks to delay or deny the opening of Letter of Credits (LCs) for the import of goods.


Pakistan eye redemption in Sharjah in second T20 against Afghanistan today

Updated 26 March 2023

Pakistan eye redemption in Sharjah in second T20 against Afghanistan today

  • Afghanistan made history by beating Pakistan for the first time ever in an international match on Friday
  • Pakistan make one change to the playing XI, replace all-rounder Faheem Ashraf with Mohammad Nawaz

ISLAMABAD: A new-look Pakistan squad, with most of its senior players resting, will be eyeing redemption against Afghanistan today, Sunday, as the two sides lock horns in the second T20 clash of the three-match series at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

Afghanistan made history on Friday after they beat Pakistan for the first time in an international match. Inspired by a match-winning knock by Mohammad Nabi, Afghanistan defeating the green shirts by six wickets in a low-scoring contest in the first T20.

On a turning track that proved to be more conducive for bowlers than batters, Pakistan lost the plot earlier in the innings, managing to finish at an unimpressive 92/9 at the end of their 20 overs.

However, when Afghanistan came out to bat, Pakistani bowlers Ihsanullah, Imad Wasim and Naseem Shah exploited the pitch conditions well to put the Afghan batters at bay. It looked like Pakistan’s game at one point in time when Ihsanullah struck twice in his debut over, dismissing Ibrahim Zadran and Gulbadin Naib.

However, after a dismal 45-4, Afghanistan managed to pull through courtesy of a match-saving partnership between Nabi (38 runs from 38 balls) and Najibullah Zadran (17 runs from 23 balls).

For Sunday’s match, Pakistan announced they would take to the field with only one change in the playing XI.

“There is one change in the side as Mohammad Nawaz replaces Faheem Ashraf,” the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said in a statement.

 

 

Senior Pakistan cricket players such as Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Muhammad Rizwan, Haris Rauf, Fakhar Zaman and others are not taking part in the series. The PCB had earlier announced it was resting the players.

PCB chief Najam Sethi said the series would serve as a grooming opportunity for younger stars such as Ihsanullah, Saim Ayub, Zaman Khan, Azam Khan, Tayyab Tahir, and others who performed well in the recently concluded Pakistan Super League (PSL).

In Azam’s absence, all-rounder Shadab Khan is leading the Pakistani squad for the three-match series in the UAE.

Pakistan decided to “compensate” Afghanistan by playing against them after Australia pulled out of an ODI series against Afghanistan. Cricket Australia said it had taken the decision in protest over the Taliban government’s education and work restrictions against women.