Betel farmers bloom with growing appetite of Pakistani chewers

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A basket full of betel leaves is seen at the Nanakwara Paan Mandi in Karachi on Jan. 1, 2020. (AN photo)
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Updated 05 January 2020
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Betel farmers bloom with growing appetite of Pakistani chewers

  • Sujawal and Thatta coastal districts are the largest producers of Pakistani betel
  • Paan has been chewed for thousands of years in South Asia

GHARO, Sindh: Betel leaf cultivation in Pakistan is poised for a boom as imports of this important ingredient of paan have recently plunged, while demand is ever-increasing.
The leaves, which are used to wrap the traditional confection of spices, tobacco paste and other flavorings, used to be grown domestically only in very small quantities in Karachi’s Malir area. Now they are produced on thousands of acres in the country’s coastal districts.
Paan has been chewed for thousands of years in South Asia. Upon his visit to the subcontinent in the mid-14th century, Muslim explorer Ibn Battuta described the practice as special to the region. Today, paan is also chewed in Southeast Asia.
Since 2004, when local production contributed only 5 percent to Pakistan’s betel consumption, reliance on imports from India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bangladesh has been decreasing.




Haji Saleem Chikna, former chairman of the Nanakwara Paan Mandi is talking to Arab News in Karachi on Jan. 2, 2020. (AN photo)

“The import has decreased to a ton daily in off season, while it’s up to just 500 kilograms in full season,” Haji Saleem Chikna, former chairman of the Nanakwara Paan Mandi, told Arab News. The low season lasts only two months.
As Pakistan-India ties have been severed since last year, betel imports from the neighbor have stopped, further increasing demand for local produce.
“My father, Haji Muhammad Khan Baloch, took the seeds from Malir and cultivated it on a small piece of land. With the passage of time, it reached 80 acres,” Shahnawaz Baloch, a grower in Udasi village of Thatta district, told Arab News, adding that since the cash crop was doing very well, other farmers followed suit and now it is cultivated on thousands of acres.
“We are trying hard and want to take the produce to a level on which it will be exported,” Baloch said.




Paan is on display at a shop in the KECHS area of Karachi on Jan. 1, 2020. (AN photo)

In Sujawal and Thatta coastal districts, which are the largest producers of betel, millions of rupees in paan are consumed daily. “We, a population of 700,000, consume paan of Rs15 million daily, which is sold at around 3,000 stalls,” local resident Saifullah Junejo said. “When the fishermen go to sea, they take more paan and less food,” he added.
Meetha Paan, Saunf Khushboo, Saada Khushboo, Mix Patti, Raja Jani, Raja Sahab and Tambaku Paan are just a few of paan mix varieties available in stalls across Karachi. In the old days, the after-dinner treat would be prepared by grandmothers for family members.
Saatchi, Salon, and Bangkok are the types of betel produced domestically. While their cultivation is profitable, it requires hard work, time and money.




Abdul Rasheed, a betel grower, is talking to Arab News at his field in Udasi village, Sindh province, on Jan. 1, 2020. (AN photo)

It takes six months from preparing land to having the leaves, said Abdul Rasheed, another farmer in Udasi. “Once the first produce is ready, the farm continues to give us the leaves for around two years.” To prepare half an acre for farming costs about Rs800,000.
“We produce it with utmost care, then we keep it protected from thieves. If someone takes three to four kilograms of leaves, it means he steels Rs8,000,” Rasheed said as he carefully locked the door to his farm.


Turkish naval ship arrives in Pakistan on visit to strengthen maritime cooperation

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Turkish naval ship arrives in Pakistan on visit to strengthen maritime cooperation

  • The development comes amid heightened tensions between Pakistan and India over an attack in Kashmir that New Delhi blamed on Pakistan
  • On Saturday, Turkish Ambassador Dr. Irfan Neziroglu met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and expressed Ankara’s solidarity with Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: A Turkish naval ship, TCG Büyükada, has arrived in Pakistan on a visit to strengthen maritime cooperation between the two countries, Pakistan Navy said on Sunday.
Pakistan and Türkiye share close diplomatic, economic and defense ties. Turkish defense firms have helped modernize Pakistan’s Agosta 90B-class submarines and supplied military equipment, including drones, to Islamabad.
The two countries regularly hold joint military exercises, most recently the Ataturk-XIII drills, which involved combat teams from the two special forces and aimed to enhance interoperability between them.
Upon arrival at the Karachi port, the Turkish naval ship was warmly welcomed by officials from both navies, according to the Directorate General Public Relations (DGPR) of Pakistan Navy.
“During its stay in Karachi, the crew of TCG Büyükada will engage in a series of professional interactions with Pakistan Navy personnel,” the DGPR said. “The visit aims to enhance mutual understanding and strengthen maritime cooperation between the two navies.”
The development comes at a time of heightened tensions between Pakistan and India over an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 tourists on April 22. New Delhi has blamed the attack on Pakistan. Islamabad has denied involvement and called for a credible international probe into it.
Since the attack, both nations have traded fire over their de facto in Kashmir, while diplomats have exchanged barbs and both countries have expelled citizens and ordered their land border shut. Both Pakistani and Indian forces have conducted military drills in a show of their military might, while Pakistan has Pakistan has test-fired a surface-to-surface missile with a range of 450 kilometers, amid fears India may conduct limited strikes against Pakistan on the pretext of the Kashmir attack.
With Islamabad engaged in active diplomacy to project its stance over the issue, Turkish Ambassador Dr. Irfan Neziroglu met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and expressed Ankara’s solidarity with Pakistan, Sharif’s office said on Saturday.
“The goodwill visit of TCG Büyükada stands as a testament to the ever-strengthening maritime collaboration between Pakistan and Türkiye,” the DGPR said. “It reflects the deep-rooted mutual trust and strategic partnership between the two brotherly nations, anchored in centuries-old historical and cultural ties.”


Over 14,500 Pakistani Hajj pilgrims arrive in Madinah via 60 flights

Updated 32 min 47 sec ago
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Over 14,500 Pakistani Hajj pilgrims arrive in Madinah via 60 flights

  • Another 2,500 Pakistani pilgrims will reach the holy city via 11 flights on Sunday
  • The first groups of Pakistani pilgrims are scheduled to depart for Makkah on May 7

ISLAMABAD: More than 14,500 Pakistani Hajj pilgrims have reached the Saudi holy city of Madinah via 60 flights on their way to perform the annual pilgrimage, the Pakistani religious affairs ministry said on Sunday, days after Pakistan launched its Hajj flight operation.
The country launched its Hajj flight operation on April 29 which will continue till May 31. Pilgrims will continue to leave for Madinah during the first 15 days of the operation and afterwards, they will land in Jeddah and travel directly to Makkah.
This year’s annual pilgrimage will take place in June, with nearly 89,000 Pakistanis expected to travel to Saudi Arabia under the government scheme and 23,620 Pakistanis through private tour operators. The total quota granted to Pakistan was 179,210, which could not be met.
“The arrival of Pakistani Hajj pilgrims in Madinah continues and so far, 14,670 pilgrims have arrived in Madinah via 60 Hajj flights,” Muhammad Umer Butt, who speaks for the Pakistani religious affairs ministry, told Arab News over the phone from Madinah.
Another 2,500 pilgrims will reach the Saudi holy city of Madinah via 11 flights on Sunday, according to Butt. The first groups of Pakistani pilgrims are scheduled to depart for Makkah on May 7 after completing their eight-day stay in Madinah. Departures will follow the sequence of their arrival in the city.
“Under the single-route system, all Pakistani pilgrims arriving in Madinah will travel to Makkah for Hajj and return home via Jeddah, while those flying directly to Makkah will visit Madinah before departing for Pakistan,” he shared.
The Pakistan Hajj mission has arranged accommodations near the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah to facilitate pilgrims in offering voluntary prayers, according to the spokesperson. They are being served food by 13 catering companies, in accordance with Pakistan’s taste and standards.
Pakistani pilgrims praised the arrangements made by the Saudi authorities and the Pakistan Hajj mission.
“It is my first pilgrimage as I have never performed even Umrah before this, but my overall experience remains amazing,” Khurram Ahmed, who hails from Islamabad, told Arab News.
Sajid Ali Channa, an employee of the state-run Pakistan State Oil from Karachi who is performing Hajj for the second time since 2019, described his experience as “entirely new.”
“The Hajj ministry has made tremendous arrangements, and I’ve observed significant improvements, and a clear difference compared to 2019,” he said, adding that catering, transportation, and the problem-solving mechanisms were all functioning efficiently.
Mishkat Rehman, another pilgrim from Karachi who is performing pilgrimage with her family, said they were being provided all facilities.
“We haven’t faced any trouble like long queues at immigration at Karachi airport due to Route to Makkah project and we had a very peaceful travel,” she said.
Pilgrims from across the world are converging in Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj, which begins on the 8th of Dhu Al-Hijjah, the final month of the Islamic calendar.


Gunmen kidnap five policemen in southwestern Pakistan

Updated 04 May 2025
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Gunmen kidnap five policemen in southwestern Pakistan

  • Up to 40 gunmen blocked a major highway, intercepting a prison van being transported by a police team
  • A senior government official, who asked not to be named, said that two gunmen were killed by security forces

QUETTA: A separatist militant group in southwestern Pakistan on Sunday claimed an attack on a prison van in which five police officers were taken hostage.
Between 30 and 40 gunmen blocked a major highway that cuts across Balochistan province overnight on Friday, intercepting a prison van being transported by a police team, a police official said.
“The prisoners were released later but five policemen have been kidnapped,” a senior police official in the area, who was not authorized to speak to the media, told AFP on Sunday.
He said a rescue operation was underway.
The gunmen also set fire to government buildings and a bank in the area.
A senior government official, who asked not to be named, said that two gunmen were killed by security forces.
Pakistan has been battling a separatist insurgency in Balochistan for decades, where militants target state forces, foreign nationals, and non-locals in the mineral-rich southwestern province bordering Afghanistan and Iran.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), the most active group in the region, claimed the assault in Kalat district.
The BLA has previously targeted energy projects receiving foreign financing — most notably from China.
In March, the group seized a train, taking hundreds of passengers hostage and killing off-duty security forces in a three-day seige.


In tit-for-tat move, Pakistan bans Indian ships from its ports

Updated 04 May 2025
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In tit-for-tat move, Pakistan bans Indian ships from its ports

  • Move comes in response to India’s act of banning Pakistani ships, imports on Saturday
  • Tensions surged after Apr. 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir killed 26 tourists

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan this week decided to close its shipping ports for Indian flag carriers, a statement from the country’s maritime affairs ministry said, as Islamabad’s tensions with New Delhi continue to surge following a deadly attack on tourists. 

The move came hours after India announced on Saturday it had banned the import of goods coming from or transiting via Pakistan and barred Pakistani ships. 

Both nations have taken a raft of measures against each other since Apr. 22, when gunmen killed 26 tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir. New Delhi pinned the blame on Islamabad, an accusation that Pakistan has vehemently denied and called for a transparent, international probe into the incident. 

Pakistan’s maritime affairs ministry said its decision to ban Indian ships from Pakistani ports has been taken to “safeguard maritime sovereignty, economic interest and national security.”

“Indian Flag Carriers shall not be allowed to visit any Pakistani port,” the statement said. “Pakistani Flag Carriers shall not visit any Indian Port. Any exemption or dispensation shall be examined and decided on case to case basis,” it added.

Trade between India and Pakistan has dwindled over the last few years. India announced on Saturday that it was banning Pakistani ships to ensure the safety of its assets, cargo and connected infrastructure, in the public interest and in the interest of the Indian shipping industry.

Both countries have been trading fire at the Line of Control frontier in Kashmir, which acts as a de facto border between India and Pakistan, for the last 10 days as per international media reports. 

Since gaining independence from British colonial India in 1947, India and Pakistan have fought two out of three wars over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir. Both countries claim it in full but administer only parts of it. 

The US, China, UK, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, Iran and several other nations have called on both nuclear-armed neighbors recently to de-escalate tensions and avoid a military standoff. 

Pakistan has vowed it would issue a “strong” response if the Indian military attacks. India’s PM Narendra Modi this week gave his country’s military “operational freedom” to respond to the Apr. 22 attack.


‘We don’t care’: Weddings go on in Pakistan’s Kashmir border 

Updated 04 May 2025
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‘We don’t care’: Weddings go on in Pakistan’s Kashmir border 

  • Tensions between India, Pakistan soared after New Delhi accused Islamabad of backing Apr. 22 attack in Kashmir
  • Ordinary Kashmiris living on both sides of divided region are often the first victims caught in the conflict’s crossfire

Neelum Valley, Pakistan: Rabia Bibi, a glittering red dupatta pulled over her eyes, wasn’t about to let the threat of war with India stop her wedding in a remote valley in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

“In our childhood the situation was also like this but we are not afraid. Nor will we be,” the 18-year-old told AFP after being carried in a flower-garlanded “doli” carriage.

“We want peace, so our life does not get affected,” said the bride, radiant in gold bangles, bejeweled bridal headpiece and richly embroidered scarlet robe.

Relatives carry the bride, Rabia Bibi, in a Doli, a traditional hand cart used to carry brides at weddings, as they leave for the groom's house in Ashkot village on the Line of Control (LoC) in Neelum Valley, district of Pakistan's Kashmir, on May 3, 2025, following the ongoing border tensions between India and Pakistan after the Kashmir tourist attack. (Photo by Farooq NAEEM / AFP)

At the ceremony — preceded by the sacrifice of a chicken — groom Chaudhry Junaid, no less resplendent in his elaborate sherwani coat and red-and-gold turban, was also defiant.

“People are anxious and worried, but even so, we haven’t canceled any traditional ceremonies,” the 23-year-old chef said.

The Neelum River and settlements along the Line of Control (LoC) between India (L) and Pakistan are pictured on May 3, 2025, from the Neelum Valley, a district in Pakistan's Kashmir. (AFP)

Tensions between the nuclear-armed arch-rivals have soared since India accused Pakistan of backing a shooting that killed 26 civilians on the Indian side of disputed Kashmir on April 22.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given his military “full operational freedom” to respond to the attack.

The two sides have traded gunfire for more than a week on the heavily militarised border and Pakistan on Saturday conducted a “training launch” of a missile to prove its “operational readiness.”

The Neelum River and settlements along the Line of Control (LoC) between India (L) and Pakistan are pictured on May 3, 2025, from the Neelum Valley, a district in Pakistan's Kashmir. (AFP)

Islamabad last week warned they had “credible intelligence” that India was planning imminent strikes.

International pressure has been piled on both New Delhi and Islamabad to de-escalate.

On the Pakistani side, emergency drills have been carried out in playing fields, residents have been told to stock up on food and medicine, and religious schools have shut.

A motorist rides past deserted tourist hotels and eateries in Keran village on the Line of Control (LoC) in Neelum Valley, a district of Pakistan's Kashmir, on May 3, 2025. (AFP)

In Indian-run Kashmir, a vast manhunt seeking the gunmen continues across the territory, while those living along the frontier are moving further away — or cleaning out bunkers fearing conflict.

India and Pakistan, which both claim Kashmir in full, have fought several wars over the Himalayan territory since the end of British rule in 1947.

Ordinary Kashmiris living on both sides of the divided Muslim-majority region are often the first victims caught in the crossfire.

In a checkpoint-free corner of the picturesque Neelum Valley, a tourist epicenter that was shut down last week, Indian territory is the other side of the river that winds through the mountainous region.

Residents told AFP they had been urged by the Pakistani authorities to remain vigilant because of the threat of a possible military confrontation.

In another village, mechanical engineer Shoaib Akhtar was also getting married.

“This is the happiest occasion of our lives, and we won’t let anything ruin it,” said Akhtar, the 25-year-old groom surrounded by family.

“Right now, I’m getting married and that’s what matters most. If war comes, we’ll deal with it when it happens,” he added.

Relatives carry the bride, Rabia Bibi, in a Doli, a traditional hand cart used to carry brides at weddings, as they leave for the groom's house in Ashkot village on the Line of Control (LoC) in Neelum Valley, district of Pakistan's Kashmir, on May 3, 2025. (AFP)

“We are happy, and if India has some issues, we don’t care,” Bibi said.

“We stand firm and will fight for our interests and our nation.”