Food lovers relish international flavors, global cuisines at Karachi Eat 2025

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Updated 12 January 2025
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Food lovers relish international flavors, global cuisines at Karachi Eat 2025

Food lovers relish international flavors, global cuisines at Karachi Eat 2025
  • Three-day annual Karachi Eat festival features cuisines from Middle East, Turkiye and Italy
  • Food stall owners say festival helps them bring global cuisines to Pakistani audiences 

KARACHI: The air at Beach View Park in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi was filled with the enticing aroma of Sicilian slow-cooked beef, Arabic Paratha, beefy Chapli Kebabs from Peshawar and mouthwatering Chicken Tikka. 

Welcome to Karachi Eat 2025, Pakistan’s biggest annual food festival. The three-day festival has been taking place in the ‘City of Lights’ every year in January since 2014. This year’s festival, set to conclude today, Sunday, also features hundreds of eateries and offers a variety of cuisines to visitors.

According to Ticket Wala, a platform that sells tickets for entertainment events, chefs from Indonesia, Singapore, Turkiye, Romania, Malaysia, France and other countries visited Karachi for the festival. 

Sarah Aziz, a food stall owner passionately selling Sicilian cuisine, told Arab News she wanted to bring international cuisine to Pakistanis who could not travel to countries around the world. 

“We want to bring the flavors out there for everyone who can’t go to Sicily, Portugal, or Malta,” she said. “We want to bring the food here, so they can also cherish and enjoy it.”

Aziz said she wanted to “convert” her cuisine, which was for a niche market, so that many people in Pakistan can enjoy and develop a taste for it. 

“So, the menu is basically based on slow-cooked beef with lamb fat,” she said. “We are doing handmade pesto with garlic paste.”

For others like Muhammad Ismail, 28, the festival provided an opportunity for him to indulge in his love for Arabic cuisine. 

“I just had Arabic Paratha here,” Ismail, a banker by profession, told Arab News. “I have it there [Saudi Arabia] too but this one tastes exactly like the authentic one you get in Saudi Arabia, and it’s absolutely amazing,” he said. 




Visitors gather around "Arabi's" food stall at the Karachi Eat festival in Karachi, Pakistan, on January 11, 2025. (AN photo)

Shaikh Ameen, the owner of Arabi’s, a restaurant in Karachi that offers Arabic cuisine, said there was a growing appreciation for Middle Eastern cuisine in Pakistan. 

“We offer authentic shawarma, mutabbaq and kunafa, so we’re serving these authentic dishes here,” Ameen said. 

“There are quite a few people from the Middle East, especially families, who are familiar with this food, and they really enjoy it. Moreover, people’s tastes have evolved, and they really like these flavors now.”

Kashaf Noman, a textile designer in her 20s, expressed her enthusiasm for the festival. 

“I am loving it, it’s very really organized and I have many more options here than at other festivals, so it’s really nice, I’m having fun,” she said. 

Noman said she had relished fish gyozas, waffles and a Mexican drink.

CHAPLI KEBABS AND BOHRA CUISINES

While the festival featured a plethora of international flavors, it also celebrated local specialties like the Chapli Kebab, Bohra cuisines and dishes from Pakistan’s northern mountainous regions.

Bohra cuisine comprises of food items made famous by the Bohra community, a Shiite Muslim sect. 




Visitors gather around "Bohra Delights" food stall at the Karachi Eat festival in Karachi, Pakistan, on January 11, 2025. (AN photo)

The festival also provided a platform for lesser-known regional cuisines to showcase their items. Zaeem Ud Din, 25, a student and stall owner, introduced the traditional Chapshoro dish from the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region. 

“Our Chapshoro is not spicy; people’s taste buds aren’t the same but we still wanted to bring a tradition with us,” he said. 

“We aimed to introduce something unique from Gilgit-Baltistan as not everyone can travel there.”

There were also some outlets from Pakistan’s second-largest city Lahore, which enjoys a food rivalry with Karachi. 

Despite the general perception that Lahore’s food is inferior to that of Karachi in terms of taste, Lahore-based food stalls attracted a significant crowd at the festival.

“If someone says you can’t find anything like Karachi in Lahore, they should definitely try Arif Chatkhara,” Mirza Zaidan Baig, owner of the popular Lahore eatery “Arif Chatkhara,” told Arab News. 

And for those who did not like Arif Chatkhara’s sumptuous items, Baig had a generous offer. 

“If they don’t like it, we will send them back with double the amount they paid,” he said. 


Pakistan calls for data-driven disaster management as extreme weather risks grow

Pakistan calls for data-driven disaster management as extreme weather risks grow
Updated 23 sec ago
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Pakistan calls for data-driven disaster management as extreme weather risks grow

Pakistan calls for data-driven disaster management as extreme weather risks grow
  • Dr. Musadiq Malik inaugurates Pakistan Expo on Disaster Risk Reduction organized by the NDMA
  • He highlights the country’s efforts to strengthen disaster resilience through early warning systems

ISLAMABAD: A senior Pakistani minister on Tuesday called for a data-driven and community-inclusive approach to disaster management, as the country faces increasing threats from extreme weather events.
Pakistan has endured repeated climate-related disasters in recent years, including heatwaves, droughts and catastrophic flooding, such as the deadly 2022 deluge that displaced millions and caused billions of dollars in damage.
Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Dr. Musadiq Malik said disaster management in complex environments required culturally sensitive solutions informed by evidence and broad inter-agency coordination.
“Pakistan’s vision for resilience by 2030 hinges on innovation, inter-agency coordination, and evidence-based decision-making,” he said while addressing the inauguration of the 2nd Pakistan Expo on Disaster Risk Reduction (PEDRR-25), organized by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
The event brought together diplomats, United Nations representatives, humanitarian partners and private sector leaders.
Malik highlighted Pakistan’s efforts to strengthen disaster resilience through early warning systems, localized response mechanisms and international cooperation.
He also pointed to the National Emergencies Operation Center (NEOC) that was set up to improve national response coordination and share technical expertise with regional partners.
“Pakistan has transformed challenges into opportunities by developing indigenous capacities like NEOC and sharing technical expertise with regional partners, creating goodwill and diplomatic leverage,” he added.
The minister praised the combined efforts of civil and military responders, civil society organizations and development partners in tackling past disasters and urged international donors to increase support for Pakistan’s adaptation and mitigation strategies, including better access to climate finance and carbon markets.


Pakistan finance chief heads to UK to court investors, meet British officials

Pakistan finance chief heads to UK to court investors, meet British officials
Updated 40 min 9 sec ago
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Pakistan finance chief heads to UK to court investors, meet British officials

Pakistan finance chief heads to UK to court investors, meet British officials
  • Aurangzeb aims to highlight Pakistan’s improving economic outlook in meetings with investors
  • He will also discuss trade, investment and bilateral economic ties with senior British officials

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb left for London on Tuesday to meet British officials, financial institutions and business groups, as the South Asian nation seeks to attract foreign investment by highlighting its improving economic outlook.
Pakistan is striving to draw overseas investment amid a gradually healing macroeconomic environment after a prolonged downturn that forced Islamabad to seek external financing from friendly nations and multiple loan programs with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The government has also pursued aggressive economic diplomacy in recent years, signing several agreements and memoranda of understanding with countries in Central Asia and the Middle East.
Aurangzeb’s visit to the United Kingdom is part of Islamabad’s wider strategy to expand those efforts and engage potential investors from other regions.
“The federal minister for finance, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, has departed for London to meet British officials, investors, financial institutions, investment banks, business firms and organizations,” the finance ministry said in a statement.
During the three-day visit, Aurangzeb will attend multiple investment forums and seminars where he will outline Pakistan’s economic trajectory.
He is also scheduled to participate in a roundtable titled “Pakistan Access Days” hosted by Jefferies, a prominent US-based investment bank, and another session with UK tech investors focusing on government-friendly policies in artificial intelligence, mining, health care and other sectors.
Aurangzeb will be joined at the roundtables by Muhammad Ali, the prime minister’s adviser on investment.
In addition to meetings with private sector leaders, Aurangzeb will visit the UK Treasury Department for talks with Financial Secretary Lord Livermore and senior officials.
He will also meet Hamish Nickells-Falconer, the UK’s Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).
The finance minister will also hold meetings with the chief executives of Deutsche Bank and Standard Chartered, and meet with Simon Baugh, CEO of the UK’s Government Communication Service.
During the trip, he is expected to hold a series of question-and-answer sessions with selected representatives from international and British media outlets.


Pakistan to crack down on smuggling of seeds from archrival India

Pakistan to crack down on smuggling of seeds from archrival India
Updated 06 May 2025
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Pakistan to crack down on smuggling of seeds from archrival India

Pakistan to crack down on smuggling of seeds from archrival India
  • Pakistan’s food security minister says the country is falling behind India in seed quality and yield
  • He says National Seed Development Authority will curb fake seeds, enforce stringent regulations

KARACHI: Pakistan said on Tuesday it would launch a crackdown on the smuggling of seeds from archrival India while emphasizing better regulation of the domestic seed market and promotion of local agricultural innovation.
The move comes amid renewed tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors after last month’s deadly attack on Indian tourists in Pahalgam, which New Delhi blamed on Pakistan, though Islamabad denied the charge.
Both countries have since taken tit-for-tat measures against each other, downgrading bilateral trade and diplomatic ties. India has also suspended the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), a decades-old pact governing cross-border river flows, raising food security concerns for lower riparian Pakistan in the longer run.
Pakistan’s Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, Rana Tanveer Hussain, chaired a high-level meeting focusing on the issue, pointing out that Indian seeds were being smuggled into Pakistan and openly advertised on social media platforms.
“The Ministry is working closely with law enforcement agencies to take strict action against those involved in this illegal activity,” he said.
He also warned that the country, once ahead of India in agricultural innovation, was now falling behind.
“It is unfortunate that we now cite India’s example in seed quality and yield performance,” he added.
Hussain also raised the issue of the widespread sale of non-certified and substandard seeds in local markets, saying the authorities had banned 392 companies found guilty of distributing fake seeds.
The participants of the meeting said more than 50,000 metric tons of cotton seeds were available for the upcoming season, nearly meeting the total requirement of 53,796 metric tons and easing concerns about shortages.
According to a statement circulated after the meeting, the minister addressed the problem of price volatility in the seed market, saying the National Seed Development Authority had been established to monitor seed quality, prevent the sale of fake seeds and enforce stringent regulations.
He also reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to protecting farmers’ rights, ensuring food security, and transforming the agriculture sector through transparency, regulation and innovation.


Delegation from Pakistan’s top military university in UAE to discuss academic collaboration

Delegation from Pakistan’s top military university in UAE to discuss academic collaboration
Updated 06 May 2025
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Delegation from Pakistan’s top military university in UAE to discuss academic collaboration

Delegation from Pakistan’s top military university in UAE to discuss academic collaboration
  • Delegation members are representatives of National Defense University, Pakistan’s leading military educational institute
  • Pakistani delegation will meet UAE officials, think tanks and other institutions during visit, says Pakistan embassy in Abu Dhabi

ISLAMABAD: A delegation of senior Pakistani military and civil officers has arrived in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to enhance bilateral dialogue, academic cooperation and understanding between the two nations, the Pakistan embassy in Abu Dhabi said on Tuesday. 

The delegation are representatives of the National Defense University, Pakistan’s leading military educational institute situated in Islamabad, the embassy said in a statement. It added that the delegation comprises senior military and civil service officers, including those from friendly countries as well. 

“The Embassy of Pakistan in Abu Dhabi hosted a delegation of National Security and War Course (NSWC) of the National Defense University (NDU), Islamabad, during their foreign study visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE),” the embassy said in its statement.

“The visit aims to enhance bilateral dialogue, academic collaboration, and mutual understanding between Pakistan and the UAE.”

Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UAE Faisal Niaz Tirmizi welcomed the delegation, stressing the significance of these exchanges in deepening bilateral cooperation. He stated that the visit also reflects our commitment to strengthening the historic Pakistan-UAE partnership, the embassy said. 

“During their visit, the delegation will have high-level interactions with UAE government officials, think tanks, and other institutions of UAE,” the statement said.

The UAE is Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner after China and the United States, and a major source of foreign investment valued at over $10 billion in the last 20 years, according to the UAE foreign ministry.

It is also home to more than a million Pakistani expatriates. Policymakers in Pakistan consider the UAE an optimal export destination due to its geographical proximity, which minimizes transportation and freight costs while facilitating commercial transactions.

The two nations have stepped up efforts in recent years to strengthen their business and investment ties. In January 2024, Pakistan and the UAE signed multiple agreements worth more than $3 billion for cooperation in railways, economic zones and infrastructure.


Pakistan, Bangladesh resolve to strengthen bilateral ties, maintain high-level contacts

Pakistan, Bangladesh resolve to strengthen bilateral ties, maintain high-level contacts
Updated 06 May 2025
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Pakistan, Bangladesh resolve to strengthen bilateral ties, maintain high-level contacts

Pakistan, Bangladesh resolve to strengthen bilateral ties, maintain high-level contacts
  • Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar speaks to Bangladesh Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain, says state media 
  • Islamabad and Dhaka have attempted to rebuild bitter relations since ouster of Sheikh Hasina’s government last year

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar agreed to strengthen bilateral relationship with Bangladesh and maintain high-level contacts with its leadership, state-run media reported on Tuesday, as Islamabad looks to forge closer ties with the Muhammad Yunus-led government. 

Pakistan and Bangladesh, once one nation, split after a brutal 1971 war with Dhaka drawing closer to Islamabad’s arch-rival New Delhi. However, long-time Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted after her government was overthrown in August 2024. She fled via helicopter to India as Dhaka attempts to extradite her. 

Relations between India and Bangladesh’s interim government have been frosty since then, allowing Islamabad and Dhaka to rebuild ties slowly. Dar spoke to Touhid Hossain, Bangladesh’s foreign affairs adviser, over the telephone on Monday, Pakistani state broadcaster said. 

“Pakistan and Bangladesh have reaffirmed their mutual commitment to further strengthen bilateral relations and maintain regular high-level engagements,” Radio Pakistan reported. 

Direct private trade between the countries restarted in November 2024, when a container ship sailed from Pakistan’s Karachi to Bangladesh’s Chittagong. It was the first cargo ship in decades to sail directly between the countries.

Dar discussed Pakistan’s increased regional tensions with India during his conversation with Hossain, in light of New Delhi’s “unfounded” allegations it was involved in an attack last month in Indian-administered Kashmir. 

Gunmen killed 26 tourists in Pahalgam tourist resort on April 22, straining ties between the two nations as India blamed Pakistan for backing the attack. Islamabad denied involvement and has asked New Delhi to share proof to substantiate its claims, something it hasn’t done yet. 

“The Bangladeshi Foreign Affairs Adviser expressed concern over the current situation and emphasized the need for de-escalation and exercising restraint by all parties,” Radio Pakistan said. 

India and Pakistan — carved out of the subcontinent at the chaotic end of British colonial rule in 1947— have fought multiple wars and remain bitter foes. The two countries claim the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir in full but govern only parts of it separated by a Line of Control (LoC) de facto border.