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 and Kuwait review trade, investment cooperation during bilateral consultations 

Pakistan and Kuwait review trade, investment cooperation during bilateral consultations 
Updated 21 sec ago
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Pakistan and Kuwait review trade, investment cooperation during bilateral consultations 

Pakistan and Kuwait review trade, investment cooperation during bilateral consultations 
  • Fourth round of Pakistan-Kuwait Bilateral Political Consultations held in Kuwait, says Islamabad 
  • Pakistan has increasingly eyed trade, investment to ensure consistent, sustainable economic growth 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani and Kuwaiti officials reviewed their countries’ cooperation in trade, investment, human resource collaboration and other economic spheres, the Pakistani foreign ministry said on Wednesday, as the two sides held their bilateral political consultations. 

Pakistan and Kuwait held the fourth round of their Bilateral Political Consultations (BPC) in Kuwait on Wednesday. The Kuwaiti delegation was led by Sameeh Essa Johar Hayat, the Gulf country’s assistant foreign minister (Asia Affairs) while Additional Foreign Secretary (Middle East) Shehryar Akbar Khan led the Pakistani side. 

“The two sides reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations including trade, investment, human resource collaboration, consular and people-to-people contacts with a view to further enhance bilateral cooperation,” the statement said on Wednesday. 

It added that the two delegations also exchanged views on regional and international issues, and reaffirmed their commitment to continued cooperation and consultation.

“While expressing satisfaction over the upward trajectory in bilateral relations and the momentum of high-level interactions and exchanges, both sides agreed to further deepen engagement in diverse areas of mutual interest,” the Pakistani foreign ministry said. 
It said that the next round of the BPC between the two sides will take place in Islamabad on mutually agreed dates.
Since narrowly escaping a default in 2023, Pakistan has eyed increasing foreign trade and investment with regional allies, especially Gulf countries. 
Islamabad formed the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), a hybrid civil-military government body, tasked with attracting international investment in key economic sectors such as tourism, agriculture, livestock, mines and minerals and others. 


Pakistanis call on Delhi, Islamabad to engage in ‘serious dialogue’ over Kashmir

Pakistanis call on Delhi, Islamabad to engage in ‘serious dialogue’ over Kashmir
Updated 14 May 2025
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Pakistanis call on Delhi, Islamabad to engage in ‘serious dialogue’ over Kashmir

Pakistanis call on Delhi, Islamabad to engage in ‘serious dialogue’ over Kashmir
  • Attack in Indian-administered Kashmir sparked armed conflict between India, Pakistan last week
  • Root cause of the conflict between two nations is disputed territory of Kashmir claimed by both

KARACHI: Residents in Pakistan’s largest city Karachi said on Wednesday that India and Pakistan must engage in serious dialogue over the Kashmir issue, as they resumed their daily routines four days after a ceasefire agreement between the two countries.

The spark for the latest chaos was an April 22 attack in Indian Kashmir that killed 26 people, most of them tourists.

New Delhi blamed the incident on “terrorists” backed by Pakistan, a charge denied by Islamabad. India and Pakistan have fought three major wars and been at loggerheads since their independence.

“The foremost matter is Kashmir itself. We, Pakistan, are clearly stating that we are ready to talk, and India must approach this with sincerity,” said Karachi resident Shams Keerio.

“Without serious dialogue that includes negotiations over Kashmir, these talks will not succeed.”

Another Karachi resident, Amir Nisar, said the issue should be resolved according to UN resolutions. He also called on India to respect the ceasefire brokered by Washington between the two states.

“If they do not respect it, then I believe that if a real war breaks out between Pakistan and India, it can lead to the loss of lives of millions of people,” he said.

“[Indian PM] Narendra Modi, being from a big country, should be aware that he should refrain from war.”

The two nuclear-armed nations have fought two out of three wars over the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir. India and Pakistan both claim territory in full but govern only parts of it.


One killed, 10 wounded in grenade attack on pro-army rally in Pakistan

One killed, 10 wounded in grenade attack on pro-army rally in Pakistan
Updated 14 May 2025
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One killed, 10 wounded in grenade attack on pro-army rally in Pakistan

One killed, 10 wounded in grenade attack on pro-army rally in Pakistan
  • About 150 people in cars, motorcycles in Quetta were celebrating Pakistan's retaliatory strikes against India
  • No group immediately claimed responsibility but suspicion is likely to fall on separatist Baloch Liberation Army

QUETTA: A suspected militant on a motorcycle threw a hand grenade at participants of a pro-army rally in southwestern Pakistan on Wednesday, killing at least one person and wounding 10 others, police and hospital officials said.

The attack occurred in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province, said local police chief Mohammad Malghani.

He said about 150 people in cars and on motorcycles were heading to a hockey ground in the city for a government-organized event to celebrate the military’s recent retaliatory strikes inside India when the man threw a grenade at them.

Wasim Baig, a spokesman at the Civil Hospital, said at least two of those wounded were in critical condition.

No group immediately claimed responsibility, but suspicion is likely to fall on the Baloch Liberation Army, a separatist group that has waged a years-long insurgency in the province.

Pro-army rallies have been held across Pakistan since Sunday, when the United States brokered a cease-fire between Pakistan and India, which were engaged in one of their most serious confrontations in decades.


Pakistan resolves to enhance UAE ties into ‘mutually beneficial economic partnership’

Pakistan resolves to enhance UAE ties into ‘mutually beneficial economic partnership’
Updated 14 May 2025
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Pakistan resolves to enhance UAE ties into ‘mutually beneficial economic partnership’

Pakistan resolves to enhance UAE ties into ‘mutually beneficial economic partnership’
  • Shehbaz Sharif speaks to UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan
  • Pakistan PM thanks UAE for playing constructive role to defuse South Asia tensions

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday reaffirmed his country’s resolve to strengthen Pakistan’s ties with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) into a “mutually beneficial economic partnership,” his office said in a statement.

Sharif’s government has moved closer to the UAE in recent months in its efforts to attract international investment and ensure stability for Pakistan’s fragile $350 billion economy.

In January last year, Pakistan and the UAE signed multiple agreements worth more than $3 billion for cooperation in railways, economic zones and infrastructure, a Pakistani official said.

Sharif spoke to UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan over the telephone, the Pakistani Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said. He noted “with great satisfaction” that bilateral cooperation between the two countries was progressing, especially in the areas of economy and investment.

“He [Sharif] renewed his strong resolve to transform the existing Pakistan-UAE ties into a mutually beneficial economic partnership,” the statement said.

Both leaders discussed Pakistan’s recent tensions with India which triggered an armed conflict between the two nations recently.

India and Pakistan pounded each other with missiles, drones, and artillery fire last week. The conflict erupted when India fired missiles into Pakistan last Wednesday after weeks of tensions over an attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir on Apr 22. New Delhi blamed the attack on Pakistan, while Islamabad denied involvement.

US President Donald Trump announced Washington had brokered a ceasefire between the two states on Saturday after Pakistan launched retaliatory strikes.

“During their warm and cordial conversation, the Prime Minister conveyed profound gratitude for UAE’s diplomatic efforts and constructive role to defuse the recent crisis in South Asia,” the PMO said.

“He added the UAE had always stood by Pakistan, through thick and thin.”

Sharif’s office said he reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to uphold the ceasefire understanding, as well as its resolve to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity at all costs.

“The UAE President welcomed the ceasefire understanding, while appreciating Pakistan’s efforts for peace,” the PMO said.

Separately, Sharif also spoke to UN chief Antonio Guterres to thank him for his efforts to defuse tensions in South Asia, the PMO said.

The UAE holds immense importance for Pakistan, given that it is Islamabad’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.


Pakistan says willing to work with India, global partners to counter ‘terrorism’

Pakistan says willing to work with India, global partners to counter ‘terrorism’
Updated 14 May 2025
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Pakistan says willing to work with India, global partners to counter ‘terrorism’

Pakistan says willing to work with India, global partners to counter ‘terrorism’
  • Islamabad has always denied New Delhi's allegations it supports militants who launch attacks against it
  • Disputed Kashmir territory has been the root cause of conflict between India and Pakistan since 1947

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday said Islamabad was willing to work with New Delhi and global partners to counter "terrorism," as his country's fragile ceasefire with India continues to hold after last week's armed conflict.

India fired missiles into what it says were "terrorist" camps in Pakistan last Wednesday, stoking tensions between the two neighbors. India targeted Pakistani cities in Azad Kashmir and Punjab after weeks of tensions over an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22. New Delhi blamed the attack on Pakistan, while Islamabad denied involvement.

Pakistan said it downed five Indian fighter jets last Wednesday and conducted retaliatory strikes on Saturday. Hours later, US President Donald Trump announced both sides had agreed to a ceasefire brokered by Washington.

India accuses Pakistan of sheltering militants that launch attacks on its soil, especially in the part of the disputed Kashmir territory that New Delhi administers. Pakistan denies the allegations and urges Delhi to give Kashmiris the right to self-determination.

"I think we can work together because if they [Indian authorities] are so allergic not to work together against this [terrorism] menace, we can have two, three more partners," Dar, who also serves as Pakistan's deputy prime minister, told BBC News Hindi.

https://x.com/BBCHindi/status/1922288613078806945

Dar did not elaborate on which countries he meant when he said "partners."

"Global partners to deal with it," the minister added.

He pointed out that Pakistan had suffered from militant attacks and was a "frontline ally" in the so-called War on Terror.

"We have lost 90,000 people but then it takes two to tango," he continued. "We have to work together to eliminate the menace of terrorism."

Kashmir has been the root cause of conflicts between India and Pakistan since both countries gained independence from British rule in 1947.

India and Pakistan have fought two out of three wars over Kashmir. Both countries claim the Himalayan region in full but administer only parts of it.

India accuses Pakistan of arming and funding separatist militants in Kashmir. Islamabad denies the allegations and says it only provides moral and diplomatic support to Kashmiris.