QUETTA: As Syed Ahmed, 42, arranges shining, red-colored pomegranates under a small bamboo roof, the sight of the prized fruit stops customers at his shop in the heart of southern Pakistani city of Quetta. The pomegranates, imported from Afghanistan, are considered a prized seasonal fruit in Pakistan, particularly in the Balochistan province, however, the recent tensions between the two neighbors have threatened its trade, with Pakistani buyers worrying for tons of merchandise stuck on the border.
Locally known as ‘Kandhari Anaar,’ or Kandahari pomegranate, the red-skinned fruit has juicy, blood-red seeds intricately affixed to a soft, white inner cover, and is full of nutrition. Many in Pakistan and Afghanistan call it a ‘fruit from the heaven’ because of its unique taste that they say is superior to all other varieties of pomegranate.
However, the import of the prized fruit from Afghanistan’s Arghandab, Bala Jar and Parwan areas, has lately been threatened by…