KARACHI, Pakistan — In the bustling metropolis of Karachi, Amjad Awan, an account executive at a private firm, sits down for a modest lunch of lentils and roti at a restaurant that serves free food for those in need in the upscale Sindhi Muslim Cooperative Housing Society. This scene, playing out daily across Pakistan, paints a stark picture of a nation grappling with widespread poverty and economic hardship.
Awan’s story is not unique. A steady stream of diners flow through the restaurant in a scene that repeats itself at similar charity food providers across Karachi, each serving as a vital lifeline for the city’s struggling residents. It’s a sobering reality in a country where an estimated 40% of the population of 240 million finds itself mired in stagnant levels of poverty.
“Until last year, I could hardly make both ends meet, but now it has become impossible. So, I eat my lunch here daily,” said Awan, who lives in a rental apartment in Karachi’s Lines Area with his wife and three children.
About the author
Ashraf Khan
Ashraf Khan is a Pakistan-based journalist who has worked with foreign media for the past 22 years. He has reported on a variety of issues including environment and climate change, economy, politics, human rights, the war on terror, and lifestyle. His work has appeared in Newsweek, Le Monde Diplomatique, Far Eastern Economic Review, Christian Science Monitor, IRIN — now known as The New Humanitarian, South China Morning Post, Qantara.de, and others.
