Renowned chef Zakir Qureshi passed away in Karachi last night, his nephew Abdulwali Shayan Qureshi confirmed on Tuesday.
The celebrity chef was well-known for his cooking programmes and diverse culinary expertise, having worked at numerous restaurants across the world.
“He [Zakir] passed away in Karachi, at around 7pm last night,” Shayan told media.com about his paternal uncle.
Zakir returned from the United States, where he had been residing for the past five years, 20 days ago, according to Shayan. He added that the culinary icon had been placed on dialysis due to kidney issues.
The chef’s funeral will be offered after Asr prayers today in Karachi’s Saudabad area.
Zakir hosted his namesake television show ‘Zakir’s Kitchen’ on mediaNews for several years in the 2010s. He was known to be an individual devoted to his craft.
“I don’t go out and socialise. I don’t have an interest in watching movies or listening to music or anything else… I just know how to cook. Food is my life,” he told media in a 2014 interview.
During his life, Zakir amassed vast experience working at hotels and restaurant kitchens around the globe, including Botswana, the United Arab Emirates, the Caribbean, Singapore and South Africa.
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According to an interview he gave to Aurora, Zakir began his culinary career by becoming an apprentice at the Sheraton hotel (now Movenpick) in 1980. It was a decision prompted by his family, who come from a line of traditional cooks.
Having spent 27 years abroad, Zakir hosted his first show in Pakistan in 2005 on Indus TV, giving him the prestige of a celebrity chef. He went on to share his recipes with the audience on other channels, including ARY, Hum TV, Masala TV and mediaNews.
He also featured as a judge on the Pakistani version of the global television show MasterChef, which aired on Urdu1 in 2014.
‘MasterChef Pakistan’ became the country’s first reality show to be nominated for an international accolade when it was listed as a nominee for the 19th Asian Television Awards (ATA).
Besides having written numerous cookbooks, Zakir had opened two restaurants in Karachi — Shaan-e-Mughlia in Gulshan-i-Iqbal and the Clifton Grill, both of which he eventually sold.
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