Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: ‘Kartarpura’ – the only traditional food street of the twin cities hosts hundreds of people each night. However, it faces several problems that need the attention of authorities.

The Kartarpura food street is famous for its taste and traditional style. It offers several food items dating back to pre-partition. The market is famous for its traditional Nihari, Siri Paye (trotters) and Lassi.

In routine, the market becomes alive at around evening and offers a range of traditional foods to the visitors. However, during Ramazan, the market becomes crowded at sehr.

A large number of citizens reach the market and enjoy traditional foods such a Nihari, Tikka, Chany and Lassi. The most famous outlet in the street is: ‘Kala Khan Nihari’, which has been offering tasty Nihari since 1947. Anybody who wants to enjoy Kala Khan’s Nihari should reach the spot at least two hours prior to sehr due to the large number of people who go to the eatery.

Sagheer Ahmed, a worker at the shop, said: “We offer fresh Nihari to our clients. We cook the Nihari for a specific number of people to avoid wastage. We entertain around one thousand customers daily. We also sell our food in parcels on a large scale.”

The market is located at a short drive from Asghar Mall Intersection on Benazir Bhutto Road. However, the only drawback is that the streets are narrow and finding parking space is always a hassle.

However, that does not deter visitors. After 11pm, one can hardly find a place to sit in any of the restaurants that line the street. During Ramazan, people have to wait in lines to get a chance to eat inside any restaurant.

Another major problem is that there are no arrangements for families in the market.

A large number of youngsters always lurk around the market. Restaurants also don’t have suitable arrangements for women and children.

Although, traffic police deputes several wardens in the area for ensuring a smooth flow of traffic, it is not enough. The authorities should devise a strategy to develop the market. The food street is in urgent need for renovation.

A regular visitor to the market, Afzal Ahmed said: “Food streets in Rawalpindi and Islamabad only offer a good environment, but they don’t have the traditional taste, which we find here in Kartarpura.”

A little effort of the government can make this street a better public place not only for Pakistanis, but also for the international visitors. Talking to Daily Times, the visitors demanded that the government should make better arrangements for cleanliness, regulating traffic flow and security at the market.