Keti Bandar is a small fishing village situated about 150 kilometers east of Karachi. It is nestled in one of the many thousands of creeks, rivers and dykes which make up the mouth of the Indus River.
The area is low and sparse. Sparse in all ways, by which I mean little to no vegetation due to the saline waters, few people due to the simple fact there is nothing there to sustain them except fishing and flat like all delta regions. Even the drinking water is trucked in. There is also evidence of some power lines. Two lines, one had collapsed and a one was being built.
The only access to Keti Bandar is by road or of course fishing boat. We did also see evidence of a helicopter pad marked out on the road. We suspected this was for military purposes as we are only about 100 kilometers from the Indian Boarder.
Given what I have just said I was surprised to see an asphalted road at all, I had been preparing myself for a long haul over rough terrain, being bumped from side to side for what would surely have seemed like hours. In fact we took an hour getting out of Karachi (that’s 20 kilometers !) due to traffic and here in the delta we were batting along at 120 plus!
After what I’ve just told you the question must be …”Why visit”? Well very good question. Actually my Company is undertaking a study for some jetties and it included a site visit to Keti Bandar. A couple of Engineers had come over from UK, that's Simon and Scott, and together with our local Engineer Partner Ahmad Pathan (Yes Ahmad of fishing days) we made the trip. So I decided why not visit with them and have a day out of Karachi. Somewhere else in Pakistan to see.
Given my comments above it is all the more striking when you consider this is only 150 kilometers from Karachi.
Ahmads’ Farm(s)
On the way back from Keti Bandar we stopped at Ahmad’s farms. At the fist stop he had laid on lunch for us. Everything was cooked over an open fire in one of the outhouses. Lunch was ready on arrival comprising fried fish, chicken curry and rice, and local salads. All was ready and cooked for our arrival. Smelled great. A far cry from Keti Bandar. We ate, relaxed then relaxed some more while sipping some local tea.
After relaxing we had a wander around. Ahmad keeps cows and oxen. The farm comprises a small dwelling and some outbuilding including the kitchen. The others were for
storage of tools and bedrooms. He had a tractor and
a few other bits of equipment. However whilst there we watched the boys go off in the ox cart to collect grass. On returning they cut it up into smaller sizes using a cutting wheel. To the grass were added sugar cane storks and banana stems for added bulk. Watching this all being done whilst sitting in the shade with yet another cup of tea made us all feel like gentlemen farmers. The good life!! The cows seemed to enjoy their food as well!
We even had time for a little shooting! Nothing came to sight so we let of a few rounds just for fun.
To cap it all off I went home armed with cauliflower, carrots and Italian Basil.
PQ is about 45 minutes east of Karachi and is set in the delta. Have just been to Keti Bandar only a week ago and this seems a similar trip. Difference is it has deep water hence the very successful port development. It handles about 35% of Pakistan sea imports. So impressive yes. Its got a lot of jetties and quays all spread out. We looked at a coal and steel unloading jetty then had a quick boat trip to view a couple of other jetties. Both in use. Good dayout from the office.
morning feeling. Visiting the construction works I noticed a navy vessel leaving port. Photos of navy ships are not really allowed and if anything frowned upon. However in this case the picture is so poor I doubt it counts in any way as a security risk! What it does do, is show you, the morning sea mist and if you look closely at the photo you will see it is already 9.30 am. She just glided by as if on air. No noise and no waves just a pale gray bulk with no distinguishing features drifting by. 
On the way back from Keti Bandar we stopped at Ahmad’s farms. At the fist stop he had laid on lunch for us. Everything was cooked over an open fire in one of the outhouses. Lunch was ready on arrival comprising fried fish, chicken curry and rice, and local salads. All was ready and cooked for our arrival. Smelled great. A far cry from Keti Bandar. We ate, relaxed then relaxed some more while sipping some local tea. 
storage of tools and bedrooms. He had a tractor and 
a few other bits of equipment. However whilst there we watched the boys go off in the ox cart to collect grass. On returning they cut it up into smaller sizes using a cutting wheel. To the grass were added sugar cane storks and banana stems for added bulk. Watching this all being done whilst sitting in the shade with yet another cup of tea made us all feel like gentlemen farmers. The good life!! The cows seemed to enjoy their food as well!
weekly Sunday and Tuesday Market. Whats for sale? Everything except meat and livestock. Even found someone selling secondhand laptops. 
by as you walk along. The people, well they are all so friendly and not in an aggressive 'selling stuff' type of way. Happy to chat and let you look at their goods knowing you will not buy. Along the tiny avenues between the stalls are the ladies in their black garb, the men doing the selling. There were a few foreigners around, some clearly European and some looked Asian, probably Chinese or Thai. In our walking around we did not see one lady, not one, doing any of the selling. Here this seems the norm with men in all the shops, markets and doing all the work. Even down to selling women's clothing. I saw one chap selling woolly tights! And women buying!!!! I did not take a picture.
lunch. Great. He explained they had cooked 10 kilos of rice and 15 kilos of lamb plus all the usual extras including potatoes. Well it was fantastic. So good I had three helping. this was all washed down with 7up!!! All followed by some more rice. In Pakistan they make a very clever desert using rice cooked in sugar and other bits then add in coconut slices and various raisins and bits of coloured pumpkin etc. Again very good.