Pakistan imports of much-loved shinay dry fruit suffer weather changes, Afghan Taliban taxes

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Updated 02 March 2022
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Pakistan imports of much-loved shinay dry fruit suffer weather changes, Afghan Taliban taxes

  • Pakistani officials, traders say Taliban have imposed new taxes on the dry fruit’s import as part of measures to stabilize economy
  • Arab News shared questions with Taliban spokesperson in Kabul but did not receive a reply despite repeated attempts 

QUETTA: The import to Pakistan of a much-loved dry fruit, the shinay, from Afghanistan has been hit by weather changes and new taxes imposed by the Taliban regime in Kabul, Pakistani officials and traders have said, leading to reduced supplies of a nut that has been a winter staple in the southwestern Balochistan province for decades.
The small, round, green-colored nut is produced in Afghanistan’s mountainous Farah province, from where its winter import to Balochistan begins around mid-September and October. This season, around 900 sacks, weighing 65kg each, were imported to Balochistan, a 55 percent decrease from the 2,000 sacks imported last season, traders said. Sale of the dry fruit goes on from December to February.
Arab News shared questions for this piece with the Taliban spokesperson in Afghanistan but did not receive a reply despite repeated attempts and reminders.




A local vendor displays shinay for customers in Quetta, Pakistan, on February 19, 2022. (AN Photo)

The Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry (QCCI) said it did not have exact data for shinay imports. Balochistan Agriculture Minister Asadullah Baloch, Agriculture Director-General Masood Baloch and Agriculture did not respond to repeated requests for comments for this story.
Hajji Abdul Nanai, 40, who has been importing shinay from Afghanistan for 11 years, told Arab News traders associated with the shinay trade were facing losses this season as its purchase price had gone up because of new duties imposed by the Taliban government and production had declined due to less seasonal rains and snowfall in Afghanistan.




Trader Haji Abdul Nanai, second on the left, sorts out shinay dry fruit from a parcel at Quetta's main shinay market, Pakistan, on February 19, 2022. (AN Photo)

“In this season, the prices of the nut have gone up because the Taliban regime in Afghanistan started collecting taxes on shinay export,” Nanai told Arab News as he unpacked sacks at a Quetta market and sorted through parcels of shinay earlier this month.
Nanai lamented that he had imported only 100 sacks of shinay in mid-October 2021, compared to almost double the number, 180 sacks, last season.




A local vendor displays shinay for customers in Quetta, Pakistan, on February 19, 2022. (AN Photo)

Seller Sharaf-ud-Din, who has been selling shinay on a pushcart for the last nine years, said he had purchased less quantity of the dry fruit this year compared to past years because of an increase in prices.
“In the past, I used to purchase one sack of shinay from the wholesale market in Quetta, but this season I have bought just 10kg as dealers have increased the prices due to frequent closures of the Pak-Afghan border crossing in Chaman,” he told Arab News. “This season, many dealers imported the dry fruit via the Torkham and Nushki borders.”




A local shinay dealer displays the small green shinay dry fruit to attract vendors at Quetta’s main Shinay Market, Pakistan, on February 19, 2022. (AN Photo)

He also said in December-February 2021, the average price of the nuts was Rs600 per 50 grams ($3.39), which had risen to Rs900 ($5.08) this season.
Badar-ud-Din Kakar, former senior vice president of the Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry (QCCI), said, shinay once used to be produced in Balochistan’s remote areas bordering Afghanistan, but its produce plunged “decades ago” as people cut down the fruit’s trees for firewood.
He said he had expected import of the dry fruit would flourish under the new Taliban regime in Afghanistan as it scrambled to find ways to stabilize the country’s crumbling economy. Instead, the Taliban had imposed new duties, pushing up prices.
“But now the Taliban government in Afghanistan has been strictly focusing on its export as part of efforts to stabilize the dwindling economy,” Kakar said. “They have started collecting duty on the export of shinay and other goods, including minerals and scrap.”




Traders display dry fruit at the  Double Road Adda Market in Quetta, Pakistan, on February 19, 2022. (AN Photo)

Hajji Hashim Khan Achakzai, president of the Chaman Chamber of Commerce, also said the import of the dry fruit had reduced since the Taliban government imposed a new regime of taxes.
Local shinay dealers in Afghanistan’s western Farah province where the nut is cultivated, and Kandahar where it is packaged for Pakistan, cited bad weather conditions for this season’s reduced production and higher prices.




The shinay dry fruit, imported from Afghanistan, on display in Quetta, Pakistan, on February 19, 2022. (AN Photo)

Bashir Khan, 30, a shinay exporter in Kandahar, said the dry fruit’s production in the Farah and Ghor provinces of Afghanistan had dropped down to three tons this season compared to seven last year.
“We travel to the mountainous regions to pick shinay from trees,” he told Arab News, “but the market has witnessed decline in the production of the natural nut due to lack of rain and snowfall which is imperative for the growth of shinay trees and seeds.”


Pakistani pilgrims praise Saudi Arabia’s ‘impressive’ Hajj 2025 arrangements

Updated 9 sec ago
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Pakistani pilgrims praise Saudi Arabia’s ‘impressive’ Hajj 2025 arrangements

  • More than 115,000 Pakistani pilgrims arrived in Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj pilgrimage this year
  • Pilgrims praise Riyadh for heat mitigation efforts, arranging separate facilities for women

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani pilgrims on Saturday heaped praise on the government of Saudi Arabia for undertaking “impressive” arrangements for pilgrims during this year’s Hajj.

The comments by Pakistani Hajj pilgrims were shared by the country’s Ministry of Religious Affairs on Saturday as Muslims marked the beginning of Eid Al-Adha in Pakistan and other parts of the world.

More than 115,000 Pakistani pilgrims arrived in Saudi Arabia this year under both the government scheme and private tour operators to perform Hajj.

“I had a very good Hajj experience,” Nadia Sarfaraz, a Pakistani pilgrim from Karachi, said in a video message. “Everything went smoothly and we have no complaints against anyone. The Saudi government is providing support here and our own [Pakistan’s] government is helping a lot too,” she added.

Rabia Babar, a Pakistani pilgrim from Islamabad, praised the Saudi government for facilitating pilgrims, especially women, throughout the Hajj.

“There are separate lifts for women. In Muzdalifah, where we spent the night, the area was fully carpeted,” she said.

This year’s Hajj saw authorities implementing a range of heat mitigation efforts alongside a wide-ranging crackdown on illicit pilgrims — resulting in noticeably thinner crowds and a heavy security presence at holy sites in Makkah and surrounding areas.

“There were [water] coolers and drinking water available everywhere,” Babar said. “They had large refrigerators, and they were providing us water bottles and even shower facilities.”

Faraz Latif, a Pakistani pilgrim who had arrived in the Kingdom from the southwestern city of Quetta, praised both Pakistan and Saudi Arabia for undertaking impressive arrangements for Hajj pilgrims.

He said maintaining cleanliness was pilgrims’ responsibility, urging them to learn patience and adopt it in their lives even after the Hajj was over.

 “It will help you not just during Hajj but throughout your life,” Latif said.

The first Pakistani flight carrying Hajj pilgrims back to the country is scheduled to arrive in Karachi on June 11.


As goats get pricier, Pakistan’s capital turns to falooda dessert to keep Eid Al-Adha spirit alive

Updated 07 June 2025
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As goats get pricier, Pakistan’s capital turns to falooda dessert to keep Eid Al-Adha spirit alive

  • Falooda is made with vermicelli in cold milk, softened basil seeds and generous scoops of vanilla or kulfi ice cream
  • Final touch is a fragrant pour of rose syrup, turning concoction into a pink-hued celebration of summer and Eid

ISLAMABAD: With sacrificial goats commanding million-rupee price tags this Eid Al-Adha, many in Pakistan’s capital are seeking solace not in the livestock markets, but in a humbler tradition: a chilled bowl of falooda — a silky, rose-scented dessert layered with ice cream, nostalgia, and just enough sweetness to lift a heat- and inflation-weary soul.

A dessert with Persian roots, falooda made its way to South Asia during the Mughal era, evolving from a frozen, rose-infused noodle pudding in Iran to the vibrant, multi-textured treat beloved across Pakistan today.

At its best, falooda is an edible symphony, a tangle of thin vermicelli swimming in cold milk, softened basil seeds (tukhmalanga) floating like miniature pearls, and a generous scoop of vanilla or kulfi ice cream crowning the glass. The final touch is a fragrant pour of rose syrup, turning the whole concoction into a pink-hued celebration of summer — and now Eid.

Nowhere is this more evident than at Bata Kulfi Falooda, a small, family-run dessert shop in Islamabad’s bustling I-8 Markaz marketplace.

There, amid the clatter of spoons and the hum of Eid shoppers, customers line up for what’s become a seasonal staple, the shop’s signature Matka Falooda, served in traditional clay bowls that keep the dessert ice-cold, even under the blazing June sun.

“We first opened in Peshawar [northwestern city] in 1962,” said Shah Faisal, the shop’s manager, as he rushed between customers to take orders. “In 2015, we brought the same taste to Islamabad. Nothing has changed. The ingredients, the method, even the feel of it, it all comes from Peshawar.”

During Eid week, Bata Kulfi Falooda’s signature Matka Falooda becomes more than a dessert. It’s a celebration in a bowl.

“It’s a memory in every bite,” said Muhammad Kamil, a 27-year-old student who had just returned from a livestock market, saying he was stunned by the jaw-dropping prices.

“Right at the entrance, we saw a goat priced at Rs1.5 million [$5,350]. A little further in, there was a sheep for Rs2 million [$7,140],” Kamil said as he waited for his bowl of falooda.

“After seeing a goat worth Rs1.5 million, only ice cream could cool us down, otherwise it would’ve been hard to keep the spirit of sacrifice alive.”

Determined to celebrate in his own way, Kamil turned to falooda, at a far more palatable Rs450 ($1.60) per bowl.

What drew him in, he said, was the comforting presentation: the cold earthen bowl, the soft noodles slicked with syrup, and the melting scoop of ice cream sinking slowly into the milky depths. He’s even considering gifting bowls of it to friends this Eid.

Indeed, with families across Islamabad and beyond rethinking how to celebrate Eid this year, it may not be the size of the goat that sets the mood but rather the shared sweetness of something simple, familiar, and deeply rooted in tradition.

So, while this Eid may see fewer families walking home from markets with goats in tow, many are still finding ways to savor the spirit of the season with a humble bowl of falooda, which is doing more than just cooling people down — it’s lifting spirits, one spoonful at a time.

According to shop manager Faisal, falooda easily outpaces even their famous kulfi in popularity during the Eid holidays.

“In this heat and with everything getting so expensive, people still want something festive,” he said. “And falooda brings joy that doesn’t cost a fortune.”


Pakistan PM exchanges Eid greetings with leaders of Azerbaijan, Qatar, Tajikistan

Updated 07 June 2025
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Pakistan PM exchanges Eid greetings with leaders of Azerbaijan, Qatar, Tajikistan

  • Shehbaz Sharif vows expresses satisfaction over trajectory of Pakistan’s ties with Azerbaijan, Qatar and Tajikistan
  • Pakistan PM praises Qatar for “positive diplomacy” and constructive role it played during conflict with India

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif exchanged Eid Al-Adha greetings with the leaders of Azerbaijan, Qatar, Malaysia, Tajikistan and Malaysia on Saturday, his office said, vowing to strengthen bilateral ties and cooperation with them.

Pakistan is celebrating Eid Al-Adha, one of the two most important festivals of the Islamic calendar, today, Saturday. Muslims mark the Eid Al-Adha holiday in Pakistan and around the world by slaughtering animals such as sheep and goats, and the meat is shared among family and friends and donated to the poor.

Sharif conveyed Eid greetings to Azeri President Ilham Aliyev, his family and the people of Azerbaijan, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement.

“The two leaders reaffirmed their shared resolve to further strengthen Pakistan-Azerbaijan bilateral cooperation and looked forward to their upcoming interactions, including at the ECO Summit in Azerbaijan in early July as well as during President Ilham Aliyev’s visit to Islamabad later this year,” the PMO said.

The Pakistani premier separately spoke to Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to convey his Eid greetings to him. Sharif thanked the Qatari leader for his country’s “proactive diplomacy” and constructive role in de-escalating tensions between Pakistan and India during their conflict in May.

“The two leaders also reiterated their common desire to expand ties between both countries, particularly through mutually beneficial trade and investment,” the PMO said.

The Pakistani prime minister also spoke to Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon, thanking him for his hospitality during Sharif’s recent visit to Dushanbe.

“The Prime Minister also thanked Tajikistan for its balanced position calling for peace and dialogue, during the recent Pakistan-India crisis,” the statement said.

On bilateral relations, the two leaders expressed satisfaction with the positive trajectory of ties, which were growing steadily across all areas of mutual interest, it added.

Sharif had also spoken to the prime minister of Malaysia earlier in the day to thank him for his support to Pakistan during Islamabad’s conflict with New Delhi.

Both leaders discussed ways to enhance bilateral cooperation between Pakistan and Malaysia.


Pakistan reiterates desire to resolve outstanding issues with India via dialogue

Updated 07 June 2025
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Pakistan reiterates desire to resolve outstanding issues with India via dialogue

  • PM Shehbaz Sharif exchanges Eid greetings with Malaysian counterpart, discusses strengthening bilateral ties
  • Pakistan and India engaged in worst fighting between nuclear-armed neighbors since 1999 for four days last month

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday reiterated his country’s desire to resolve its outstanding issues with India, state-run media reported, as tensions simmer between the two neighbors following their armed conflict last month.

India and Pakistan engaged in the worst fighting between the two countries since 1999, raising fears of the prospects of an all-out nuclear war. After both countries traded heavy fire for four days, pounding each other with missiles, fighter jets and drone strikes, US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between them on May 10.

Speaking to his Malaysian counterpart Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim over the phone, Sharif thanked him for Kuala Lumpur’s “support and balanced stance” during Pakistan’s conflict with India.

“The prime minister underscored that Pakistan had always strived for regional peace and stability,” state-run Radio Pakistan said. “He reiterated that Pakistan was ready for dialogue with India on all outstanding issues, including Jammu and Kashmir.”

Sharif separately wrote on social media account X that he looks forward to Islamabad and Kuala Lumpur deepening and strengthening their bilateral ties.

“I greatly look forward to my visit to Malaysia later this year,” he wrote.

India and Pakistan, bitter rivals since they gained independence in 1947 from British rule, have fought two out of three wars over the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir.

Both countries administer Kashmir in parts but claim the region entirely. Pakistan accuses India of occupying Kashmir and denying its people their right to self-determination. It regularly calls on India to abide by the United Nations Security Council resolutions and hold a transparent plebiscite in the territory.

India, on the other hand, accuses Pakistan of arming and funding militant separatists in the part of Kashmir it administers. Islamabad has denied the allegations and says it extends only diplomatic and moral support to the people of Indian-administered Kashmir.


Pakistan’s Punjab deploys over 43,000 police personnel for security on Eid Al-Adha

Updated 07 June 2025
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Pakistan’s Punjab deploys over 43,000 police personnel for security on Eid Al-Adha

  • Punjab Police places province on “high alert” amid deteriorating security situation across Pakistan
  • Police personnel deployed to secure 28,074 mosques and 890 open-air Eid prayer venues, says report

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Punjab has deployed over 43,000 police officers and personnel across the province for the Eid Al-Adha holidays, state-run media reported, with police placing the province on high alert amid the prevalent security situation in the country.

As per a report in the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) on Friday, the police personnel have been deployed to secure 28,074 mosques and 890 open-air Eid prayer venues.

Pakistan has seen a surge in militant violence in recent months. Scores of citizens have been killed in the past in militant attacks that have targeted mosques and tourist destinations on public holidays.

“According to the Punjab Police spokesperson, a comprehensive security strategy has been formulated to ensure the safety of mosques, Imambargahs, Eid congregations, and the general public,” APP said on Friday.

The report said 445 Quick Response Force (QRF) teams will be stationed to enhance security readiness while 11,912 metal detectors, 225 walk-through gates and 10,466 CCTV cameras will be utilized during Eid prayers.

In Punjab’s provincial capital Lahore, over 9,000 personnel will be assigned to secure more than 5,000 Eid gatherings, the spokesperson confirmed.

“Inspector General of Police (IGP) Punjab Dr. Usman Anwar has ordered heightened security measures for Eid-ul-Adha, citing the current national security situation,” the report said.

Additional police will be deployed at parks and recreational spots during the Eid holidays to ensure public safety.

The Punjab Police chief also issued a strict warning against one-wheeling, aerial firing, kite flying and rowdy behavior, the report said, stating such acts will not be tolerated.

He stressed all mosques, Imambargahs and Eid grounds must be thoroughly checked and cleared before Eid prayers. High-security mosques and Imambargahs (in category A) will have snipers posted on rooftops while plainclothes commandos will be deployed inside Eid congregations, the report said.

“The IG [inspector-general] also directed the Additional IG Traffic to personally oversee the traffic management plan across Punjab, ensuring smooth flow of traffic during Eid,” APP said.

It said police have been ordered to take preventive measures to combat street crimes and highway robberies, while extra personnel will be posted at key locations to maintain traffic flow during the holidays.

“Special instructions have been issued to ensure tourist safety in Murree and other tourist destinations,” it said. “Authorities are required to enforce SOPs for vehicle entry and exit in Murree, the IG added.”