From sleeping on footpath to famous kachoris: The story of Tariq Road’s Muhammad Jameel

Muhammad Jameel runs a small kachori shop on Tariq Road. His journey, much like the crispy snacks he prepares, is filled with struggle, hard work and perseverance.

Speaking to Dialogue Pakistan as part of its Gumnaam Kahaniyan series, he shared a journey shaped by poverty, migration, loss and resilience.

“I am from Sialkot,” Jameel says, recalling his early years. Born into a large family with seven brothers and three sisters, he says education was never an option because of extreme financial hardship faced by the family.

As a young boy, he moved to Karachi in search of better opportunities. His first job was at a sweets shop in Nazimabad, where he earned just Rs30 a day.

“At that time, even sleeping on the footpath felt peaceful. There was no street crime. We used to make do with Rs30,” he recalls. Over the years, he worked in different bakeries and sweet shops, slowly learning the craft.

Life began to improve after the birth of his first daughter. “After my first daughter was born, my financial condition got better,” he says. A father of four daughters and one son, Jameel proudly shares that he managed all his children’s expenses on his own.

But happiness did not come without hardship. After losing his wife in 2007, Jameel says he struggled for 10 to 12 years. The Covid-19 pandemic brought even tougher days.

“There were days when we had absolutely nothing to eat,” he says, struggling to hold back tears. “I started this business after selling my wife’s gold,” he reveals. Today, his son supports him by helping prepare samosas, rolls and kachoris before heading to his work.

“The first thing in every business is the way you speak with customers,” he shares tips. “The second thing is the taste of the material. This is what people like and they come to me again and again.”