Daily at 10 am, Muhammad Imran walks into his Madina Pansaari Store, in Saddar, and draws up the front shutter. The two boys who work with him have already cleaned the shop, and dusted the herb grinder, for use that day. Pansaar shops, such as Imran’s, sell a variety of herbs, herbal medicines, edible oils, spices, dry fruit, honey and preserves, promising health solutions.

As he unscrews the lids of various jars lined up on the shelves to check stock levels, the odours of lavender, hibiscus, and pumpkin seeds waft in the air. He orders the younger boy to bring his tea ‘cutting’ (a small cup of tea) from the tea shop nearby, and switches on the TV placed on the footstool in front of him. Around him, the market is abuzz with chatter and footsteps, as customers begin to arrive.

In the last few years, home remedies and life hacks for common ailments had already provided easy content for morning shows on TV, and took us back to daadi ma’s (grandmother’s) remedies. In the post-pandemic ‘new normal’, however, everyone wants to boost immune systems and be healthy. Hence, herbs and herbal medicines previously available only at a couple of specialist shops are now easily accessible to all.

It is no surprise that every major area in Karachi has at least one pansaar shop. A row of them have mushroomed in Saddar where, up until now, bakeries flourished. For those who prefer to shop online, there are also several websites and Facebook pages selling pansaar goods.

Offering affordable herbal solutions for common ailments, weight loss and much more, pansaar stores are mushrooming in Karachi, showing a growing trend towards traditional medicine

Most pansaars stock herbs and herbal medicines imported from Iran, India and Nepal. “Out of the approximately 2,000 herbs that we sell, 1,800 are from abroad, the rest are locally produced,” Imran says. “Asgand Nagori [Indian ginseng] from India is popular to treat arthritis and as a vitamin-D supplement. We get saffron from Iran.”

With Covid-19 at its peak, saffron was Madina store’s best-selling product, with hundreds of batches sold every week. “It strengthens the immune system, eases muscle tension and stress, and is also used as a multi-vitamin,” says Imran. “Our best-selling items include herbs like safed musli [chlorophytum borivilianum], singharra [water chestnut], ispaghol, aamla [Indian gooseberry], reetha [Chinaberry] and joshanda [herbal tea].”

Of course, the benefits of various herbs are a matter of belief, prescriptions from traditional health practitioners and word-of-mouth experience rather than scientific rigour.

Most store owners buy their stock from wholesale markets, the largest being Akbari Mandi in Lahore and Jodia Bazaar in Karachi. “Sellers from India, Iran and other regions sell to wholesalers, who in turn sell to the retailers such as us,” says Haider, owner of Haider Herbal Pansaar Store in Naseerabad, Karachi.

“We have all kinds of customers from all over the city,” he adds. “Many people are hesitant to use expensive allopathic medicine because of its side effects. Also people believe that using allopathic medicine, one ailment leads to another.”

Culturally, names, uses and effects of herbs are not alien to us, as several have culinary uses too. “Names of herbs and their uses have been passed down through generations over decades,” says Masood Siddiqui at the Taj Pansaar Store, in Gulberg Town, Karachi. “Our elders used turmeric, fenugreek seeds, pumpkin seeds and flaxseed for all types of natural remedies, and they lived well into old age. Even some doctors use our products.”

Some pansaar stores house a hakeem (traditional physician) to see patients and diagnose ailments. “We practise medicine the way it was done in the 7th century [CE], without the need for laboratory reports and tests on machines that confuse patients. Many customers prefer to see hakeems over allopathic doctors,” says Imran. “These hakeems have learnt from renowned hakeems such as Hakim Saeed, Ahsan Karshi, Ajmal Khan. In fact, I am a hakeem too,” he says proudly.

Contrary to popular belief, herbs and medicines sold at the pansaar shops do have side effects, which are determined by the quantity of intake and the nature of foods they are taken with.

“It is important to remember which medicines are cold in nature and which are hot according to the Ayurvedic principle of foods that heat up and cool your body,” says Haider. “For instance, turmeric has a hot effect on one’s body, and must not be taken with fennel seeds, which have a colder impact on the body.”

“The prescribed quantity is crucial or else it can be harmful.” adds Siddiqui.

Haider has an interesting story to tell about the early, panic-stricken days of the pandemic, when the vaccine had not yet arrived.

“Everyone wanted to buy sana makki or senna leaves,” he says. “It aids digestion and was touted as a cure for Covid. People wanted to buy as much of it as they could. The demand was so high that the herb, which normally costs around 200 rupees per kilo, shot up to 6,000 rupees per kilo.

“Since it is a laxative, we now had people coming to us with diarrhoea, which they thought was a sign of Covid being expelled from the body. But of course, now they wanted to control the diarrhoea. No one realised that sana makki shouldn’t be taken by people with weak intestines. It has to be mixed with rose petals and other herbs for the best results.”

Throughout last year, there were several lockdowns but customers didn’t stop shopping at pansaar stores. “People bought more from us when lockdowns were relaxed, so our sales remained the same as people became more health conscious,” says Haider.

Imran wants pansaar stores to be regulated like pharmacies. “Why was there a lockdown for us when all hospitals, pharmacies and health services were open?” he says. “We are as important as them. Our solutions improve people’s well-being and we cater to a huge segment, not just a few people.”

The pandemic has created a bigger need and awareness of healthy lifestyles and people are looking for natural and organic solutions for everything. “When people come to us, they already know which herb is used for which ailment,” Imran says, nodding with a smile. “There’s no doubt or uncertainty about herbal cures. Everything is out in the open.”

He folds up his newspaper and begins to check the daily sales sheet brought to him, which shows that sales are up as people struggle with the pandemic, widespread dengue and seasonal flu.

One way or the other, the pansaars are here to stay.

The writer is a freelance contributor and can be reached at mehreennaveed2009@hotmail.com

Published in Dawn, EOS, December 19th, 2021