KARACHI: Pakistan will dispatch 70 tons of relief goods to Myanmar in the wake of a deadly earthquake that has killed more than 2,000 people, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s office said on Monday.
The statement came after Sharif spoke with Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing and extended his condolences over the loss of precious lives and property due to the devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck on Friday.
The Pakistan prime minister assured his country was ready to provide any assistance to alleviate the suffering of those affected by the earthquake, according to Sharif’s office.
“National Disaster Management Authority of Pakistan would be dispatching around 70 tons of relief goods to Myanmar in two sorties that would arrive within the next 48 hours to help the earthquake affected people,” he was quoted as saying.
The development came as Myanmar declared a week of national mourning over the devastating earthquake, with hopes fading of finding more survivors in the rubble of ruined buildings.
The tempo and urgency of rescue efforts have wound down in Mandalay, one of the worst-affected cities and the country’s second-largest, with more than 1.7 million inhabitants. However, with communications down in much of Myanmar, the true scale of the disaster has yet to emerge and the death toll is expected to rise significantly.
Sharif expressed his confidence in the resilience of the people of Myanmar and hoped that they would soon overcome this natural calamity, according to his office.
The Myanmar junta chief thanked the prime minister and the people of Pakistan for “standing with the people of Myanmar in this hour of need.”
At least 19 deaths have also been confirmed hundreds of kilometers away in Thailand’s capital Bangkok, where the force of Friday’s quake caused a 30-story, under-construction tower block to collapse.
Cookbook ‘Pakistan’ serves up recipes for Eid mainstays: mutton pulao, garlic chutney, sweet seviyan
As Ramadan ends, Maryam Jilani’s new cookbook sheds light on Pakistan’s varied cuisine and culinary traditions
Recipes reflect diverse nature of Pakistan’s migrant communities and influences on its food from India, China and beyond
Updated 31 March 2025
AP
A mainstay at the Eid Al-Fitr table of award-winning food author Maryam Jillani’s grandmother, Kulsoom, was mutton pulao, an aromatic rice dish prepared in a gently spiced bone broth. It’s both comforting and celebratory — and can be absolutely revelatory when paired with a sharp condiment like a garlic chutney.
Dessert included seviyan, sweetened vermicelli noodles simmered in spiced milk.
Here are recipes from Jillani’s new cookbook, “Pakistan,” for the mutton, chutney, and seviyan:
Mutton Pulao (Aromatic Rice with Mutton)
Serves 6 to 8 as a main course
Ingredients:
The photo taken on June 21, 2022, shows a receipe for mutton pulao from Maryam Jillani’s book, "Pakistan." (Maryam Jillani via AP)
About 3 pounds bone-in mutton, lamb or beef, cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch pieces
4 medium yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
4 whole cloves
2 black cardamom pods
One 2-inch cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
2 tablespoons garlic paste
2 tablespoons salt, or to taste
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 cups basmati rice, rinsed in several changes of water
Directions:
Fill a large pot with 8 to 10 cups water. Add the mutton, half of the onions, the whole cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, cumin seeds, 1 tablespoon of the garlic paste, and 1 tablespoon of the salt. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook the mutton for 1 to 2 hours, depending on the quality of the meat, until it is tender. With a slotted spoon, remove the meat. Strain the solids from the liquid, return the liquid to the pot, and place it by the stove. Discard the solids.
In a clean, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the oil until it begins to shimmer. Add the remaining onions and fry on medium-low heat for 12 to 15 minutes until they are a deep golden-brown color. Take care to not let them burn. Stir in the remaining garlic paste and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until the mixture no longer smells raw.
Increase the heat to high and add the mutton and remaining 1 tablespoon salt. Sear the meat, 5 to 7 minutes, until it has browned slightly. Pour in 6 cups of the strained mutton broth (put any leftover broth in airtight containers and freeze for later use). Taste and add more salt as needed. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to maintain a simmer. Carefully pour in the rice and let cook for about 10 minutes until the water completely evaporates.
Wrap a tight-fitting lid with a clean kitchen towel and place it securely on the pot. Turn the heat to the lowest possible setting and let the rice steam for at least 10 to 12 minutes until fluffy. Carefully transfer the pulao to a serving platter and fluff with a fork.
Lahsun ki Chutney (Garlic Chutney)
Aida Khan, a London-based entrepreneur and chef, shared her mother’s recipe for this vibrant, punchy lahsun ki chutney. It’s very spicy, so a little goes a long way. Refrigerate this chutney in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
Makes 1 cup
Ingredients:
4 heads garlic, cloves separated and peeled
1 1/2 small red onions, roughly chopped
1/4 cup red chili flakes
1 bird’s eye chile (optional)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Directions:
In a food processor, combine the garlic, onions, chile flakes, and bird’s eye chile (if using), and blitz until you have a thick paste.
In a small saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the garlic and onion paste and salt. Bring it to a simmer, cover the pan, and reduce the heat to low. Cook the chutney for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn’t stick to the pan, until the garlic and onions have caramelized and the chutney’s color deepens.
Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the lemon juice and serve.
Seviyan (Sweetened Roasted Vermicelli)
This image shows. dessert receipe called seviyann from the cookbook "Pakistan" by Maryam Jillani. (Sonny Thakur via AP)
Serves 12
Ingredients:
1/4 cup ghee
6 green cardamom pods, cracked
5 1/2 ounces seviyan (semolina vermicelli)
8 1/2 cups full-fat milk
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons blanched sliced almonds
Directions:
In a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, melt the ghee and heat it until it begins to shimmer. Add the cardamom pods and fry for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the seviyan and fry over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes until browned slightly. Gradually pour in the milk and bring the pudding to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and stir in the sugar until it dissolves. Keep the milk at a gentle simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring continually, until the milk thickens but the seviyan still has some bite.
Transfer the seviyan to a serving bowl. Top with sliced almonds. Let it cool to room temperature before serving. To store, transfer to an airtight container, refrigerate, and use within 2 to 3 days.
Pakistan plans to expel 3 million Afghans from the country this year
It’s the latest phase of a nationwide crackdown launched to expel foreigners living in Pakistan illegally
The expulsion campaign has drawn fire from rights groups, the Taliban government and the United Nations
Updated 31 March 2025
AP
PESHAWAR: Pakistan plans to expel 3 million Afghans from the country this year, as a deadline for them to voluntarily leave the capital and surrounding areas expired on Monday.
It’s the latest phase of a nationwide crackdown launched in October 2023 to expel foreigners living in Pakistan illegally, mostly Afghans. The campaign has drawn fire from rights groups, the Taliban government, and the UN
Arrests and deportations were due to begin April 1 but were pushed back to April 10 because of the Eid Al-Fitr holidays marking the end of Ramadan, according to government documents seen by The Associated Press.
About 845,000 Afghans have left Pakistan over the past 18 months, figures from the International Organization for Migration show.
Pakistan says 3 million Afghans remain. Of these, 1,344,584 hold Proof of Registration cards, while 807,402 have Afghan Citizen Cards. There are a further 1 million Afghans who are in the country illegally because they have no paperwork.
Pakistan said it will make sure that Afghans do not return once deported.
Authorities wanted Afghan Citizen cardholders to leave the capital Islamabad and Rawalpindi city by March 31 and return to Afghanistan voluntarily or be deported.
Those with Proof of Registration can stay in Pakistan until June 30, while Afghans bound for third-country resettlement must also leave Islamabad and Rawalpindi by March 31.
Authorities have said they will work with foreign diplomatic missions to resettle Afghans, failing which they will also be deported from Pakistan.
Tens of thousands of Afghans fled after the Taliban takeover in 2021. They were approved for resettlement in the US through a program that helps people at risk because of their work with the American government, media, aid agencies, and rights groups.
However, President Donald Trump paused US refugee programs in January and 20,000 Afghans are now in limbo.
The Taliban want Afghan refugees to return with dignity
“No Afghan officials to be made part of any committee or formal decision-making process,” one of the documents said about the expulsion plans.
A spokesman for Afghanistan’s Refugee Ministry, Abdul Mutalib Haqqani, told The Associated Press that Pakistan was taking decisions arbitrarily, without involving the UN refugee agency or the Taliban government.
“We have shared our problems with them, stating that unilaterally expelling refugees is neither in their interest nor ours,” said Haqqani. “It is not in their interest because expelling them in this way raises hatred against Pakistan.
“For us, it is natural that managing so many Afghans coming back is a challenge. We have requested they should be deported through a mechanism and mutual understanding so they can return with dignity.”
Two transit stations will be set up in the northwest province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to help with deportations. One will be in Nasir Bagh, an area in the Peshawar suburbs. The second will be in the border town of Landi Kotal, some 7 kilometers from the Torkham crossing.
Afghans are unsure of their future in a country they don’t know
It is not clear what will happen to children born in Pakistan to Afghan parents, Afghan couples with different document types, and families where one parent is a Pakistani citizen and the other is Afghan. But officials indicated to the AP that social welfare staff will be on hand to help with such cases.
Omaid Khan, 30, has an Afghan Citizen Card while his wife has Proof of Registration. According to Pakistani government policy, he has to leave but his wife can stay until June 30. Their two children have no documents, including passports or identity cards from either country.
“I am from Paktia province but I have never been there and I am not sure about my future,” he said.
Nazir Ahmed was born in the southwest Pakistani city of Quetta and has never been to Afghanistan. His only connection to the country was through his father, who died in Quetta four years ago.
“How can we go there?” said Ahmed, who is 21. “Few people know us. All our relatives live in Quetta. What will we do if we go there? We appeal to the Pakistani government to give us some time so we can go and find out, at least get some employment.”
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus on Monday resolved to strengthen trade and cultural relations between the two countries, Sharif’s office said, amid a thaw in ties between the two countries.
The statement came after Sharif’s telephonic conversation with Yunus on Eid Al-Fitr in which they recalled their “productive” meetings in New York and Cairo on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and D-8 summits last year.
The Pakistan premier expressed his satisfaction at the positive momentum in bilateral relations between the two countries, particularly in trade and travel, according to Sharif’s office.
“The two leaders reaffirmed their shared desire to further strengthen bilateral relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh,” it said in a statement.
“In this regard, the Prime Minister said that Pakistan looked forward to the visit of the Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister to Dhaka in April and said that a trade delegation would also accompany him.”
Pakistan and Bangladesh were once one nation, but they split in 1971 as a result of a bloody civil war, which saw the part previously referred to as East Pakistan seceding to form the independent nation of Bangladesh.
In the years since, Bangladeshi leaders, particularly ex-PM Sheikh Hasina, chose to maintain close ties with India. Ties between Pakistan and Bangladesh have warmed up since Hasina’s ouster as a result of a student-led uprising in August, witnessing a marked improvement.
Pakistani cargo ships have begun to arrive at Bangladesh’s main Chittagong port for the first time since the 1971 war, while Pakistani artists have been performing in Dhaka and Bangladeshi films have been screened at cinemas in Pakistan since December.
During his conversation with Yunus, Sharif also underscored the need to revive institutional mechanisms to reinvigorate the bilateral relationship at all levels.
“Exchange of cultural troupes to promote people-to-people contact was also discussed,” Sharif’s office said. “The Prime Minister invited a Bangladesh cultural troupe, comprising old and new artists, including the legendary Runa Laila, to visit Pakistan.”
ISLAMABAD: The government in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province has ordered a probe into the deaths of 10 civilians in a drone attack last week, a provincial government spokesman said on Monday.
Ten bodies, including those of women and children, were recovered from a remote hilltop area of Katlang in KP’s Mardan district, where government officials claimed an anti-militant operation had taken place on Saturday.
The deceased hailed from the Swat region and were nomads with livestock in the Shamozai mountains, according to the locals. Their families protested the deaths by placing the bodies on the Swat Highway.
In a statement issued on Monday, KP government spokesman Muhammad Ali Saif said Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur had ordered an investigation into the tragic incident.
“After the facts come to light, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government will present its detailed stance in this regard,” he said, citing the chief minister. “The families of the martyrs will not be left alone under any circumstances and they will be provided with full financial assistance.”
CM Gandapur, whose Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is the main opposition party in the country that is in power in KP, noted that high-profile “terrorists” had previously been killed in the same area, according to Saif.
Pakistan has struggled to contain a surge in militancy in KP since a fragile truce between the Pakistani Taliban and Islamabad broke down in November 2022. The Pakistani Taliban and other militant groups have frequently targeted security forces convoys and check-posts, besides targeted killings and kidnappings of law enforcers and government officials in recent months.
Islamabad blames the surge in attacks on militants using Afghan territory as a base, particularly the TTP, which Pakistan says enjoys sanctuaries across the border. The Afghan Taliban-led government in Kabul denies this and accuses Pakistan in return of harboring Daesh militants.
Saif also said the federal authorities did not inform the provincial government about Saturday’s operation in advance, demanding a thorough analysis of operational aspects and identification of shortcomings in its execution.
“The provincial government will never allow such actions in the future,” he added.
KARACHI: A centuries-old staple of South Asian closets, the farshi shalwar, is back in Pakistan and ruling fashion trends this Eid Al-Fitr.
The word “farshi” comes from the Persian word “farsh,” meaning “floor,” and the farshi shalwar, particularly popular in Pakistan and northern India, is characterized by its floor-length, flowing and wide, loose pants, creating a dramatic and graceful silhouette.
“Right now, it’s the hottest trend,” fashion stylist and director Tabesh Khoja, popularly known as Khoji, told Arab News, saying he first styled a farshi shalwar in 2023 for the fashion label of model and actress Sadaf Kanwal.
“I styled Sadaf Kanwal actually and after that I have seen every other designer doing a farshi shalwar version of their own,” Khoja said.
The picture posted by Sadaf Kanwal Fashion on February 15, 2025, shows Pakistani model Sadaf Kanwal wearing farshi shalwar from her latest collection. (Sadaf Kanwal Fashion/Instagram)
No doubt, Kanwal seems to have played a key role in bringing the farshi shalwar back this Ramadan and Eid, with her label Sadaf Kanwal Fashion creating a number of outfits over the last two years featuring the baggy trousers.
“Throughout the [last] year, I shot so many collections of so many designers and all of those designers at least used to have two farshi shalwars for sure in their collections,” Khoja said. “So it took us an entire year to make it a fashion trend.”
According to the stylist, the trend dated back to the 17th century and was popular among noble women in the Mughal era. Modeled after the flowing gowns worn by British noblewomen, the complete outfit consists of three basic parts: a kurta or a long shirt, dupatta or long stole, and the third and most important, the farshi shalwar or pajama, a flowing two-legged trouser held by drawstrings that falls straight to the ankles from where it starts flaring and flowing copiously onto the floor, trailing as one walks.
In media, iconic movies such as Umrao Jaan (1981) and Shatranj Ke Khilari (1977) that depict Muslim culture of 19th-century Lucknow show noblewomen and royal courtesans wearing farshi shalwars.
“They had a variety of silhouettes in terms of a kurta or a jacket on top, among other things. The outfit has been there, the silhouette has been there since the 17th century but how you make it relevant now is very important,” Khoja added.
The picture, posted on August 4, 2022, by the Instagram page " Purana Pakistan," shows Pakistani women wearing farshi shalwar in 1970s. (Hibah Najeeb via Purana Pakistan)
HOW TO STYLE A FARSHI SHALWAR?
According to Khoja, some of the popular ways to style the farshi shalwar include pairing it with a button down shirt and accessorizing it with different kinds of jewelry pieces and hairdos.
“You can dress it up or dress it down. Sadaf [Kanwal] uses big organza dupattas. You can do big shawls also like [actress] Mahira Khan wore [designer] Banto Kazmi’s when she got an award at the UK Parliament. So something of that sort also with a plain silhouette.”
The picture, posted on July 16, 2023, shows Pakistani models wearing farshi shalwar by designer Hussain Rehar. (Hussain Rehar)
Pakistani actress Tuba Anwar said celebrities had been wearing farshi shalwars since last year but the trend had “peaked” among the general public in recent months. For her, the fact that everyone would be wearing the baggy trousers this Eid reduced their appeal.
“I was planning to wear farshi shalwar on this Eid and then when everybody started discussing it, I was like ‘No, this is not what I’m going to wear because I have to do something very different’.”
When she wore farshi shalwars at all, Anwar said she preferred them in solid colors.
“In terms of styling, I would like to wear it with solid colors, not a lot of embroidery going on, not a lot of things or abstract things going on in the clothes that I am going to wear,” she said.
Pakistani actor Tuba Anwar is seen wearing farshi shalwar. (Tuba Anwar)
The farshi shalwar craze is not limited to women alone.
Actor and host Fahad Mustafa has donned the farshi shalwar look on his hit gaming show Jeeto Pakistan during Ramadan. Singer and songwriter Falak Shabbir has been seen in the outfit as well.
“It’s certainly not limited to women. Fahad Mustafa was of course wearing it on Jeeto Pakistan. I am going to wear it on Eid,” Khoja said. “So, you will see a lot of people of different sorts, male and female, wearing it.”
Pakistani actor and host Fahad Mustafa r is seen wearing farshi shalwar. (Fahad Mustafa)
