Pakistani second-hand online clothing platform rakes in $1.2 million in foreign funding 

The undated photo shows the team of Swag Kicks, an online second-hand clothing marketplace, posing for photograph in Karachi, Pakistan. (The Swag Kicks)
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Updated 16 February 2023
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Pakistani second-hand online clothing platform rakes in $1.2 million in foreign funding 

  • As Pakistanis struggles with decades-high inflation, ‘Swag Kicks’ provides second-hand clothes at affordable rates
  • Import of second-hand clothing is on the rise globally as consumer preferences shift toward circular fashion

KARACHI: Swag Kicks, an online second-hand clothing marketplace based in Karachi, has raised $1.2 million in a seed funding round led by foreign venture capitals (VCs) and local angel investors, the startup’s co-founder said on Tuesday. 

According to its website, Swag Kicks is the “go-to sustainable fashion platform” for millennials and generation Z Pakistanis. The startup says it has served over 100,000 customers and has over 25,000 listed items from sneakers, bags and apparel to accessories on its website. 

Angel investors are entities that invest capital into startups or businesses for equity. The funding round that closed this week was led by i2i Ventures, with participation from TechStars Toronto, CrossFund, and other notable angel investors. 

“The funds would be utilized to build up inventories and stocks, expand market outreach, and introduce innovative technology to manage growing demand,” Nofal Khan, co-founder of Swag Kicks, told Arab News.

The startup was founded in 2019 but as the coronavirus pandemic dealt severe blows to businesses around the world, it had to scale its business activities. However, the business slump ended and Swag Kicks bounced back by raising $200,000 in pre-seed funding in early 2021. 

The startup says is the first of its kind to attract foreign funding into second-hand clothes. 

“We are the first to attract foreign funding, we have digitized Lunda (second-hand clothing) in Pakistan and selling used clothing and streetwear called “pre-loved fashion” to customers across Pakistan,” Khan said. 

“We are selling original global big brands at the lowest prices, which otherwise are not accessible for average Pakistanis,” he added. 




The picture posted by a Pakistani second-hand online clothing platform Swag Kicks on March 30, 2022, shows a person holding a shoe during a photoshoot. (Swag Kicks/Facebook)

The startup brings global sneaker and streetwear to Pakistan by sourcing “pre-loved fashion” from across the world, washing and disinfecting the items before listing them on the platform. 

“Our platform serves millennials and Gen-Zs so that they could express themselves through this form of circular fashion amid its growing demand,” Khan said. 

Swag-Kicks features pre-use versions of renowned brands such as Adidas, Nike, Timberland. Jordans, Puma, Levis and others. The funding round is being seen by venture capitalists as an important development as Pakistan attempts to stave off serious macroeconomic challenges. 

“International funding for startups is definitely still drying up in 2023, which is not helped by Pakistan’s macroeconomic environment,” Kalsoom Lakhani, co-founder and general partner at i2i Ventures, told Arab News. 

“However, all these problems present enormous opportunities — Swag Kicks and plays in the circular fashion space are a great example of this,” she added. Lakhani said thrifting and second-hand clothing become popular choices when consumer spending declines. 

“For us as Pakistan-focused VC funds, it’s about investing in companies that are interesting because of this environment, that reflect changing attitudes,” she added. 

Pakistan saw a massive funding rush in 2021 when startups attracted around $360 million and fell to around $350 million in 2022, according to various funding sources. 

The import of secondhand clothing is on the rise around the world as consumer preference shifts toward circular fashion. 

Second-hand marketplaces are growing, with estimates predicting the global market will grow 127 percent by 2026 to an estimated $218 billion. This, according to New York-based investment management company Morgan Stanley, is in part due to realization among consumers that their individual consumption habits can have significant impact on the planet. 

Pakistan continues to remain one of the largest importers of used clothes as inflation surges more people are pushed toward poverty. During the last fiscal year, around 36 percent of Pakistan’s population was living below the poverty line, which is projected to increase to 42.5 percent this year as incomes decline, unemployment increases and prices increase rapidly in the country, according to Pakistani economist, Dr. Hafiz Pasha. 

Swag Kicks expects to tap into the problems that rising inflation and shrinking spending have caused to the customers by increasing its market penetration. 

“The secondhand clothing market in Pakistan is large, but the supply side is very fragmented,” Misbah Naqvi, Co-founder and general partner at i2i Ventures, told Arab News. 

“The Swag Kicks team is able to operate at this scale because of the elaborate back end they’ve built, including an in-house warehouse Software as a Service (Saas) product that has tremendous potential,” Naqvi added. 

Pakistan imported 978,699 metric tons of preloved or worn clothing worth over $433 million during the last fiscal year, more than 33.5 percent more in terms of quantity and 40 percent in terms of value when compared to previous year, according to official data. 


Pakistan re-elected to OIC’s human rights commission till 2028

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Pakistan re-elected to OIC’s human rights commission till 2028

  • Former diplomat Riffat Masood to represent Pakistan at commission, says Deputy PM Ishaq Dar 
  • Commission deliberates on key issues such as women’s rights, Islamophobia, extremism and others

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has been re-elected to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) human rights commission from 2025-2028, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said this week, thanking member states for their support. 

The Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) is an expert body with advisory capacity established by the OIC as one of the principal organs working independently in human rights. 

Since it was launched in 2011, the commission has deliberated on important issues such as the rights of women and children, the right to development, combating Islamophobia, extremism and intolerance as well as human rights situations in different countries.

 “Pakistan has been re-elected today to the OIC-Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) for the period 2025-2028 on the sidelines of ongoing meetings of the Council of Foreign Ministers in Istanbul,” Dar, who also serves as Pakistan’s foreign minister, wrote on X on Saturday.

Dar said former Pakistani ambassador Riffat Masood will represent Pakistan at the Commission.

“We thank the Member States for their support & commend IPHRC’s vital role in promoting respect for Human Rights globally,” the Pakistani minister concluded. 

At the 51st session of the OIC’s CFM in Istanbul, Dar voiced alarm over escalating tensions in the Middle East, blaming Israel’s military actions in Gaza and recent strikes in Iran for deepening instability and humanitarian crisis in the region.

The high-level conference was held at a moment of crisis for several OIC member states. Two of the bloc’s key countries — Pakistan and Iran — have recently experienced military escalations with regional rivals.

“Israeli aggression against Iran is not an isolated event,” Dar said in his address to the forum on Saturday night. “It is part of a dangerous and consistent pattern of militarism that Israel has demonstrated across the Middle East.”


Dust, paper, and crowds: Inside the Peshawar book bazaar that never runs out

Updated 16 min 49 sec ago
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Dust, paper, and crowds: Inside the Peshawar book bazaar that never runs out

  • Chaka Gali serves students and collectors with used and rare books at affordable prices
  • Booksellers say many visit the lane out of compulsion, not passion, due to financial hardship

PESHAWAR: In a narrow alley in the heart of Peshawar’s walled city, the scent of dusty pages lingers in the air as visitors step into Chaka Gali, a book bazaar believed to be even older than Partition that continues to serve students and collectors with stacks of used and rare titles at prices few other markets can match.
Thought to have been there in some form before 1947, the market remains one of the oldest surviving second-hand book bazaars in Pakistan. Its tight street is lined with small, dimly lit shops where wooden shelves sag under the weight of textbooks, novels, encyclopedias and exam guides.
Some titles lie in neat piles. Others are scattered on the ground. Most have passed through many hands.
“Chaka Gali is more than 70 years old,” Abdul Jameel, a bookshop owner in his 50s, told Arab News. “You can see the houses [around]. They are almost older than the partition [of Pakistan and India].”
The market’s offerings cater to a wide range of interests. Textbooks for schoolchildren sit alongside Urdu and English fiction, MBBS manuals, CSS prep guides, and religious literature, all at steeply discounted prices.
“You can find any sort of book here,” Jameel continued. “If you need books for primary school for children [or] course books, they can be found here. If you need general English novels, they are also available. If you require Urdu novels, you can get them from here.”
The books, he said, come from multiple sources. Some are purchased from families clearing out private collections while others are supplied by scavengers who collect discarded books from homes and streets and resell them to vendors in the lane.
He identified Lahore’s famed Urdu Bazaar — a historic hub of Pakistan’s publishing trade — as the third source, noting that it supplies unsold or surplus books to dealers across the country.
Jameel said many of these brand-new but excess titles are passed on to vendors at reduced prices.
This benefits the market’s primary customers who come not for the love of books but because they have no other choice.
“The buyers mainly come from the lower class,” he said. “Those who can’t buy books for children [since they can’t afford them] come and take old books from us.”
Jameel said such buyers arrive in the lane “out of compulsion, not a passion for reading.”
“The craze for reading has almost ended,” he added.
Ismail Khan, another second-hand bookseller in his 30s, said he had worked in the market for 15 years.
He pointed out that the rise of digital learning and online reading has cut into sales, though physical books still hold emotional and practical value for many.
“The sales of old books has declined these days,” he noted. “If you see, many people read ebooks.”
However, he noted some readers prefer the tactile experience of a physical book and aren’t drawn to screens.
He also blamed the shrinking customer base on widespread financial hardship.
“A book that previously cost Rs100 is now available for Rs500,” he continued, adding that many people have lost the capacity to buy new books.
Hasir Mir, one of the regular visitors to the lane, said he is a pharmacy student who has relied on Chaka Gali for his academic needs since school.
“I have bought all books of Grade 8, 9 and 10 … from here,” he said. “One of the reasons is that the prices here are reasonable compared to other places.”
Beyond affordability, he observed, the market offers an unmatched range of books.
“I can easily find pharmacy-related books here,” he added. “If you are doing IT, ACCA or you are a student of any other field, you can find the books you want.”
For Mir and many others, Chaka Gali is more than just a marketplace — it’s a lifeline.
Visitors to the second-hand market say that in a country where inflation has turned books into a luxury, the lane quietly preserves the belief that knowledge should remain within reach — even if the pages are a little worn.


Pakistan’s foreign minister meets Saudi, Kuwaiti and Kazakh counterparts on OIC sidelines

Updated 22 June 2025
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Pakistan’s foreign minister meets Saudi, Kuwaiti and Kazakh counterparts on OIC sidelines

  • Ishaq Dar and Prince Faisal bin Farhan discuss avenues to strengthen ‘strategic cooperation across all sectors’
  • Dar also focuses on enhanced trade and investment in talks with the Kuwaiti and Kazakh foreign ministers

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday met his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan in Istanbul to discuss bilateral ties and strategic cooperation, as he held a series of diplomatic engagements on the sidelines of the 51st session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers.
The talks came as the escalating crisis in the Middle East, particularly Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and its recent strikes inside Iran, dominated the agenda of the high-level summit, drawing sharp rebukes from several Muslim countries including Pakistan.
“Delighted to meet my brother, HH Prince Faisal bin Farhan, on the sidelines of the 51st OIC Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting in Istanbul,” Dar said in a social media post. “We reaffirmed the deep-rooted brotherly ties between our two countries & explored avenues to further strengthen our strategic cooperation across all sectors.”
https://x.com/mishaqdar50/status/1936410048219001309?s=46&t=x28vcP-XUuQ0CWAu-biScA 
The meeting underscored Pakistan’s close relations with Saudi Arabia, which has extended critical financial support to help Islamabad navigate a prolonged economic crisis in recent years. The Kingdom played a key role in unlocking a crucial loan program from the International Monetary Fund and remains Pakistan’s largest source of worker remittances, a major pillar of the country’s economy.
Dar also met Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya to discuss expanding trade and investment ties, amid Pakistan’s efforts to attract Gulf investment and secure more employment opportunities for its workers in the region.
“Met my dear brother Abdullah Al-Yahya, Foreign Minister of Kuwait, on the sidelines of the 51st OIC CFM in Istanbul,” he said. “We discussed Pak–Kuwait bilateral ties, trade & investment, cooperation within OIC, and regional & international developments of mutual concern. Grateful for Kuwait’s steadfast support, especially amidst recent escalations [with India].”
https://x.com/mishaqdar50/status/1936411452463570991?s=46&t=x28vcP-XUuQ0CWAu-biScA 
Dar also held a meeting with Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu to reaffirm strong bilateral ties and explore opportunities for regional connectivity.
According to Pakistan’s foreign office, the two leaders agreed to enhance cooperation in trade, investment and infrastructure, with Dar welcoming a planned high-level visit from Kazakhstan to Pakistan in October 2025 to strengthen the partnership further.
Islamabad has repeatedly highlighted the importance of ties with Central Asian states, offering its southern ports as a gateway for the landlocked region to access international markets through sea trade.


New Zealand beat Pakistan 6-2 to clinch FIH Hockey Nations Cup trophy

Updated 22 June 2025
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New Zealand beat Pakistan 6-2 to clinch FIH Hockey Nations Cup trophy

  • Kiwis stunned Pakistan with five goals in first half of one-sided FIH Hockey Nations Cup final 
  • New Zealand promoted to prestigious FIH Pro League after winning second consecutive trophy

ISLAMABAD: New Zealand ended Pakistan’s bid to clinch the FIH Hockey Men’s Nations Cup title on Saturday, winning the trophy a second consecutive time in Kuala Lumpur after beating the green shirts 6-2. 

It was a one-sided contest right from the beginning, with the Kiwis stunning Pakistan with five goals in the high-octane first half at the Bukit Jalil National Hockey Stadium. 

Despite a fightback by Pakistan in the second half of the match, which saw the green shirts score two goals, New Zealand managed to score another and add 6-2 to the final tally. 

“New Zealand’s triumph not only earned them the championship but also promotion to the prestigious FIH Pro League, reaffirming their growing stature in international hockey,” state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) wrote. 

New Zealand signaled intent from the outset, with two early goals disallowed but persistent pressure finally paying off when Scott Cosslett converted a penalty corner. Jonty Elmes then set up Sam Hiha to double the lead, followed by goals from Dylan Thomas and Sean Findlay — the latter finishing from a difficult angle after receiving a precise aerial pass.

Before the halftime whistle, Scott Boyde capitalized on a rebound from the Pakistani goalkeeper to make it 5-0, giving New Zealand an unassailable lead.

Pakistan’s Moin Shakeel responded with a 33-minute goal, briefly shifting the momentum. 

“Cosslett netted his second goal of the match via a penalty corner in the closing minutes, while Sufyan Khan grabbed a consolation for Pakistan to end the match 6-2,” APP reported. 

France, which lost to Pakistan in the semifinal earlier this week, claimed the bronze medal by defeating South Korea in a shootout, while Wales beat hosts Malaysia for fifth place.

Japan finished seventh with a win over former champions South Africa.

The FIH Men’s Nations Cup was being played in Kuala Lumpur from June 15 to 21 that brought together eight top-ranked teams competing with each other.
Hockey is Pakistan’s national sport.

The national team boasts a proud legacy with three Olympic gold medals in 1960, 1968 and 1984 along with four World Cup titles in 1971, 1978, 1982 and 1994.

Hockey in Pakistan has faced a sharp decline in recent decades due to administrative challenges, underinvestment and inadequate infrastructure.

Renewed efforts are underway to revive the game with increased government support, youth development initiatives and greater international engagement aimed at restoring Pakistan’s former glory in the sport.


Pakistan tells OIC conference Israeli military actions driving Middle East instability

Updated 21 June 2025
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Pakistan tells OIC conference Israeli military actions driving Middle East instability

  • Ishaq Dar tells Istanbul conference Israeli strike on Iran ‘not an isolated event,’ reflects ‘continued impunity’
  • He calls on the OIC to play its role in shaping a more just and stable global order for the Muslim world

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday voiced alarm over escalating tensions in the Middle East, blaming Israel’s military actions in Gaza and recent strikes in Iran for deepening instability and humanitarian crisis in the region.

Addressing the 51st session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers in Istanbul, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar reiterated his country’s condemnation of Israel’s attack on Iran.

The high-level conference comes at a moment of crisis for several OIC member states. Two of the bloc’s key countries — Pakistan and Iran — have recently experienced military escalations with regional rivals.

While Pakistan’s brief but intense standoff with India ended in a ceasefire last month, Israel’s strikes on Iranian nuclear and military facilities, launched more than a week ago, have shown no signs of de-escalation.

“Israeli aggression against Iran is not an isolated event,” Dar said in his address to the forum. “It is part of a dangerous and consistent pattern of militarism that Israel has demonstrated across the Middle East.”

“Pakistan remains deeply concerned at the escalating tensions, deepening instability and humanitarian crises across the Middle East,” he added. “What underpins many of these situations is the continued impunity with which Israel is undermining peace and stability of the broader region.”

The Pakistani deputy PM condemned Israel’s “unprovoked aggression” against Iran as a violation of international law and the UN Charter, warning that such actions posed a grave threat to both regional and global peace.

“We can all feel the reverberations of this instability,” he said.

Turning to Gaza, Dar said Israel was waging a “genocidal campaign” against Palestinians, pointing out that over 55,000 people, mostly women and children, had been killed since the start of the conflict in October 2023.

He noted Israel was deliberately blocking life-saving humanitarian aid and targeting relief workers, leaving millions displaced and entire neighborhoods in ruins.

Calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza, Dar said that lasting peace in the region was impossible without a viable, sovereign Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders, with Jerusalem as its capital.

He also referenced last month’s military standoff between Pakistan and India, telling the conference participants that Pakistan had shot down six Indian fighter jets in the confrontation.

He said that his country was committed to regional stability and warned that India’s unilateral actions — including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty — were further escalating tensions.

“Pakistan will not allow India to stop water for our people,” he said. “It will be treated as an act of war.”

Dar also urged the OIC to assert itself as a collective voice for the Muslim world.

“The OIC has a crucial role to play in streamlining the rapidly evolving and deteriorating global order to the benefit of the Muslim world,” he added.