Shan Foods, Pakistan’s top spice mix maker, eyes Middle East expansion

Sammer Sultan, the co-chairperson of Shan Foods, speaks during an interview with Arab News on September 17, 2024. (AN Photo)
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Updated 19 September 2024
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Shan Foods, Pakistan’s top spice mix maker, eyes Middle East expansion

  • Co-chairperson of one of Pakistan’s largest producers of packaged spices speaks to Arab News in exclusive interview
  • Says Middle East “key focus area” for company, claims business in the region has grown exponentially in 20 years

KARACHI: Shan Foods (Private) Limited, one of Pakistan’s largest producers of packaged spice mixes, says Saudi Arabia and the Middle East are a “key focus area” for expansion, a top official at the company said this week, adding that it had already captured 65 percent of the market in the United Arab Emirates.
Shan Foods has a presence in more than 75 countries currently. It was founded in 1981 by Sikander Sultan who along with his wife started making spice mixes at home. The spices became popular and formed a loyal fan-base both at home and with Pakistanis who had moved to Arab countries, Europe, US and Canada.
“So, it [Middle East] is one of our key focus areas, it’s a key focus market for us because there is a huge South Asian population that lives in Saudi Arabia and then the Arab consumers are also familiar with our food and the kind of food that we eat,” Sammer Sultan, the co-chairperson of Shan Foods, said in an interview to Arab News. 
“They’re very exposed to it. So, it’s definitely one of the core areas of focus for us, and we want to grow our business there. UAE specifically is one of our biggest regions already in terms of our sales values.”

When asked about the size of Shan Foods in the Middle Eastern market, she replied:
“It would be difficult for me to give you a number like that, but we’ve had exponential growth. If I were to compare from 20 years ago, it’s probably 100x by now. So, what we were selling maybe 20 years ago, we’re selling 100 times that now. So it’s been phenomenal.”
PARTNERSHIP WITH SYMRISE
Shan Foods last year partnered with Symrise AG, a German manufacturer of food flavorings, to establish Symrise’s first-ever production facility in Pakistan, aiming to localize Shan’s supply chain and strengthen its position within the local and global food industries. 
Since 2005, Symrise has seen double-digit growth year on year with its partners across the Middle East and Pakistan region.
Sultan said the joint venture would not only facilitate Shan Foods and Symrise but also benefit businesses and consumers within the larger framework.
“The whole objective of import substitution is that you are trying to bring in something that is locally available instead of trying to import it to the country,” she said, pointing out that many of Shan Foods’ raw materials were currently sourced from abroad.

“We are not fully local in the sense that a lot of our inputs are coming in from abroad and that’s the process that we are working collaboratively with Symrise to figure out, how do we localize all our supply to Pakistan,” Sultan added. 
“That is something that ties in with Shaan’s sustainability goals as well because we also want to localize the top 10 raw materials that we’re using in our spices because, you see, logistics, wars, there’s so many factors that come into play when the global supply chain gets affected.”
Also, with rising inflation and cost pressures on businesses, localizing key raw materials decreased prices and benefited consumers, Sultan said.
“They get to pay a lower price,” she explained, “or at least every year the price doesn’t go up as much because we are localizing the raw materials and input.”


Jemima Goldsmith says concerned about welfare of ex-husband Imran Khan

Updated 15 October 2024
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Jemima Goldsmith says concerned about welfare of ex-husband Imran Khan

  • Khan has been embroiled in more than 200 legal cases since he was ousted in a no-trust vote in 2022
  • The former prime minister has been detained since August last year and barred from standing for office

LONDON: The ex-wife of Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan on Tuesday called for his immediate release, citing “serious and concerning” reports about his treatment in prison.
Jemima Goldsmith said the Pakistani authorities had stopped all visits to him by his family and lawyers, postponed court hearings, and prevented him from calling his two sons since early September.
Electricity had been cut to his cell and he was no longer allowed out at any time, while the jail cook had been sent on leave, she wrote in a lengthy post on social media platform X.
“He is now completely isolated, in solitary confinement, literally in the dark, with no contact with the outside world,” said Goldsmith, who was married to the former Pakistan cricket team captain from 1995 to 2004.
The couple have two sons, Sulaiman and Kasim, who live in London.
A panel of UN experts in July criticized Pakistan for arbitrarily detaining Khan in breach of international law to apparently prevent him for running for political office.
Khan, 72, was prime minister of Pakistan from 2018 to 2022, and has been embroiled in more than 200 legal cases since he was ousted in a parliamentary no-confidence vote he claims was orchestrated by the country’s powerful generals.
He has been detained since August last year and barred from standing for office. He has since applied to become the next chancellor of Britain’s Oxford University.
Goldsmith said Khan’s family had also been targeted, and his sisters and nephew arrested and jailed unlawfully, while she had faced rape and death threats from her ex-husband’s political opponents.
The release of Khan, his nephew and sisters, plus the re-establishment of contact with his sons will provide “assurance first-hand that he is well and not being mistreated,” she added.
“I disagree with IK on many political issues,” she wrote. “But this is not about politics — it’s about my children’s father, his human rights & international law.”
 


Pakistan PM discusses trade, investment and connectivity with Central Asian leaders on SCO summit margins

Updated 15 October 2024
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Pakistan PM discusses trade, investment and connectivity with Central Asian leaders on SCO summit margins

  • Top officials from China, Russia, India, Iran and several Central Asian states are attending the two-day summit in Islamabad
  • On Tuesday, PM Shehbaz Sharif warmly greeted the visiting dignitaries, including Indian FM, at a dinner he hosted in their honor

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday met with Central Asian leaders and discussed trade, investment and regional connectivity on the sidelines of a two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Islamabad, Sharif’s office said.
The prime ministers of China, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan as well as Iran’s first vice president and the Indian external affairs minister are in Islamabad to attend the summit on October 15-16.
The Pakistani government has declared a three-day holiday in the federal capital of Islamabad since Monday, with schools and businesses closed to ensure security of foreign leaders attending the high-profile regional summit.
In a meeting with Kazakhstan PM Olzhas Bektenov on Tuesday, Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to work with all member states in advancing the SCO’s principles and purposes, according to the Pakistan PM’s office.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif meets with Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov on the sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Head of Government Meeting on October 15, 2024. (Government of Pakistan)

“Noting the warm and excellent bilateral relations between the two countries, Prime Minister Sharif emphasized the need to enhance trade and investment, while also focusing on regional connectivity and security,” Sharif’s office said in a statement.
To achieve this shared objective, he stressed the need to maintain regular and high-level contacts, including through institutional mechanisms of bilateral engagement.
In his meeting with Tajikistan PM Qohir Rasulzoda, the Pakistan premier said both countries should further cement cooperation across all spheres of shared interest, according to Sharif’s office.
He conveyed Pakistan’s strong desire to strengthen ties with Kyrgyzstan in trade and investment during a meeting with Akylbek Japarov, chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic. In his meeting with Turkmen Foreign Affairs Minister Rashid Meredov, Sharif welcomed the participation of Turkmenistan in the summit as a “special guest.”

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (R) meets Akylbek Japarov, Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic, on the sidelines of SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG) Meeting in Islamabad on October 15, 2024. (Government of Pakistan)

During the meetings, Central Asian leaders congratulated the Pakistani premier on the successful organization of the SCO summit and lauded Pakistan’s positive role as the SCO chair, Sharif’s office said.
Pakistan wants to position itself as a regional trade hub and to leverage its strategic geopolitical position and enhance its role as a pivotal trade and transit hub connecting China and Central Asia with the rest of the world. In recent months, there has been a flurry of visits, investment talks and economic activity between Pakistan, China and Central Asian states, including Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
In a bilateral meeting with Belarusian PM Roman Golovchenko, Sharif noted that regular high-level exchanges had added positive momentum to the cordial ties between the two countries.
“This momentum needed to be sustained so as to realize the full potential of bilateral cooperation, particularly in the areas of trade, investment, agricultural machinery and joint production of tractors and connectivity,” he was quoted as saying.
On Tuesday, Sharif also hosted a dinner in honor of the visiting foreign dignitaries, wherein he was seen greeting and shaking hands with the attendees, including Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.


Sharif is due to preside over a meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government and deliver the opening remarks on Wednesday, followed by statements from leaders of participating countries during the session, according to the Pakistani foreign office. The documents reflecting outcomes of the meeting will also be signed during the session, which will conclude with Sharif’s closing remarks.
Foreign office said Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and SCO Secretary General Zhang Ming will interact with media to share a communiqué after the concluding session on Wednesday.
Pakistani authorities have locked down the capital to ensure security of foreign leaders attending the SCO summit. The government has deployed troops and blocked key roads, announcing alternate routes for the residents.


Ghulam says ‘wait is over’ after century on Pakistan debut

Updated 15 October 2024
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Ghulam says ‘wait is over’ after century on Pakistan debut

  • The 29-year-old made 118 on the opening day of the second Test, anchoring Pakistan to 259-5
  • Since his first-class debut in 2013, Ghulam has piled on runs in all three formats of the game

MULTAN: One of a dozen brothers, Kamran Ghulam got used to waiting his turn for a bat as a child.
He then had to wait for his Pakistan debut, but it all seemed worth it on Tuesday when he scored a century against England in Multan.
The 29-year-old debutant made a terrific 118 on the opening day of the second Test, anchoring the hosts to 259-5.
Dawood, one of the 10 older brothers, said Ghulam had learnt to be patient from very early on.
“We used to play cricket at our village and would not allow Kamran to bat on the pretext that ‘you are very small’,” Dawood told AFP from Peshawar, in Pakistan’s northwest, on the phone.
“He was a good fielder so we used to order him to field only and like a very obedient boy he would follow, and that patience has seen him through difficult times.”
Six of the brothers played for the same club in their village in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and would often be at loggerheads over who should bat first.
“It was normal to have a fight, but at the end of the day we always returned home happy and today we are at the height of our happiness,” said Dawood, 40.
“Our late father always wanted Ghulam to become a good player but he died 22 years ago.
“He would have been the happiest in the family.”
Since his first-class debut in 2013, Ghulam has piled on runs in all three formats of the game with his best coming in 2020-21 when he amassed 1,249 runs in 11 domestic matches.
That broke a 36-year record.
Ghulam was included in Pakistan’s preliminary squad for a home series against South Africa in 2021 but was not given a chance.
He said he knew his opportunity would come some day — as long as he was patient.
“They say the fruit of patience is always sweet and it is proved today,” said Ghulam after his opening-day heroics in Multan.
“I was eager for my chance and had always thought whenever it will come I will make it worthwhile.”
Last year Ghulam was in Pakistan’s squad against New Zealand in a one-day international in Karachi but he only got a chance as a substitute for Haris Sohail, who suffered concussion.
Ghulam’s full Test debut finally came as he replaced out-of-form Babar Azam following Pakistan’s innings defeat last week.
“There was pressure of replacing Azam so I had to do something special,” said Ghulam.
“So I am delighted that I am successful in achieving a feat and my wait is over.”


Pakistan Navy cadets win silver medal in international sailing competition in Brazil

Updated 15 October 2024
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Pakistan Navy cadets win silver medal in international sailing competition in Brazil

  • A total of nine teams from around the world competed in the J24 boat category
  • Pakistan Navy team captain dedicates the victory to quality training by instructors

ISLAMABAD: Cadets of Pakistan Navy’s sailing team won the silver medal by securing second position in the 79th International Naval Academy Sailing Competition held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Pakistan Navy said on Tuesday.
A total of nine teams from around the world competed in the J24 boat category, according to the Directorate General Public Relations (DGPR) of Pakistan Navy.
J24 is the world’s most popular keelboat class used in almost all major international championships, including the PanAm Games, World Sailing Games and Nations Cup.
“The PNA [Pakistan Naval Academy] team captain dedicated the victory to the quality training,” the DGPR said in a statement.
The participating teams included cadets from naval academies of Pakistan, Brazil, China, Italy, Portugal, Argentina, Colombia, Peru and India, according to the DGPR.
“After securing first position during International Sailing Championship in Sri Lanka earlier in August this year, this is consecutive second extraordinary performance at international level during last three months by cadets of PNA,” it said.
Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Naveed Ashraf, congratulated the victorious Pakistan Navy team and lauded the efforts of PNA faculty and instructors for the brilliant performances internationally.


India-Canada relations reach historic lows as top diplomats expelled

Updated 15 October 2024
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India-Canada relations reach historic lows as top diplomats expelled

  • Relations fraught since the murder of a Sikh separatist leader in British Columbia last year
  • Canadian PM says Indian officials identified as ‘persons of interest’ in the assassination plot

NEW DELHI: Relations between India and Canada have reached a historic low as the countries expelled each other’s diplomats in an ongoing row over the killing of a Sikh separatist activist on Canadian soil.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused India’s government on Monday of “supporting criminal activity against Canadians here on Canadian soil,” and the country’s Foreign Ministry announced the expulsion of six Indian diplomats, including the high commissioner.

The ministry said Canadian police had gathered evidence, which identified them as “persons of interest” in last year’s killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was gunned down in Surrey, British Columbia.

India immediately rejected the accusations as absurd, and its Ministry of External Affairs said it was expelling Canada’s acting high commissioner, his deputy, and the embassy’s four first secretaries.

Before the announcement, it also summoned the Canadian charge d’affaires and said it was withdrawing its high commissioner and “other targeted diplomats,” contradicting Canada’s statement of expulsion.

“Prime Minister Trudeau has been making these public statements repeatedly, but the evidence that he claims to possess is not available to us so we cannot make any kind of a judgment,” Dr. Ajai Sahni, executive director of the Institute for Conflict Management in New Delhi, told Arab News.

“This is the first time the relationship is so low … It has created a lot of problems and it has done damage to relationships between the two countries for the time being.”

This is not the first time India-Canada relations have been strained. In 1974, after India conducted its first nuclear weapon test, it drew outrage from Canada, which accused it of extracting plutonium from a Canadian reactor, a gift intended for peaceful use.

Ottawa subsequently suspended its support for New Delhi’s nuclear energy program.

“The relationship was also low in the 1980s with the hijacking of an Indian Airlines plane and the bombing of the plane, in which many people died,” said Prof. Ronki Ram, political science lecturer at the Punjab University.

The explosion from a bomb planted by Canada-based militants killed 329 people — the worst terrorist attack in Canadian history. India had warned the Canadian government about the possibility of attacks and accused the Canadian Security Intelligence Service of not acting on it.

But the current strain in relations is the first in which diplomats have been withdrawn.

“This is the first time that the relationship has gone down so low,” Ram said.

“Allegations and counter-allegations will have serious implications both internationally and domestically. The Indian government should look into the allegations and try to address them.”

Nijjar, a Sikh Canadian citizen, was gunned down in June 2023 outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, which has a significant number of Sikh residents. He was an outspoken supporter of the Khalistan movement, which calls for a separate Sikh homeland in parts of India’s Punjab state.

The movement is outlawed in India, considered a national security threat by the government, and Nijjar’s name appears on the Indian Home Ministry’s list of terrorists.

Canada has the largest population of Sikhs outside their native state of Punjab — about 770,000 or 2 percent of its entire population.

“Many Panjabi diaspora are in Canada, and a mini-Punjab has been established there,” Ram said.

“The government is taking an electoral interest in the landscape of Canada also. Those things are becoming very critical.”