Dawn Images

Imagine yourself blindfolded for a few moments. There’s nothing but pitch-black darkness. Without the ability to rely on your eyes to see, your other senses take control — the touch of a wall guiding you, the soft echo of footsteps, the faint scent of something familiar. You’re navigating a world not defined by sight, but by feel, sound, and intuition. Yet, you’re comforted by the knowledge that the blindfold will soon come off, and you’ll see the world again.

Now imagine if it didn’t. Imagine the blindfold never lifts, and the darkness becomes your reality.

For most of us, the chances of experiencing this are slim. But for entrepreneur Ali Khan Tareen, this became his life. Between the ages of nine and 10, he was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic disorder that gradually narrowed his vision. He was told it would be back to normal in a matter of days, instead it eventually led to complete blindness. Tareen now shares his this journey of losing his vision during Dining in the Dark events he co-hosts with his sister, Fizza Hussain. Together, they founded Khaas Foodz.

Hussain began losing her sight at 18 — like Tareen, she also has retinitis pigmentosa. Despite their visual impairments, they didn’t let the darkness define them and didn’t lose their focus on life. They continued to dream, and together they now successfully run Khaas Foodz, raising awareness about disabilities, particularly those related to visual impairment.

Dining in the Dark

This season, Khaas Foodz opened its kitchen once again for another Dining in the Dark experience, collaborating with the Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI) and Unilever Pakistan. The event aimed to create a space to raise awareness and provide opportunities for persons with disabilities in the corporate sector — but in way that went beyond a simple seminar.

Internationally, dining in the dark is a unique and more common phenomenon at restaurants where guests are served food in complete darkness. Tareen and Hussain cleverly coupled this concept with an effort to raise awareness about visual impairments, giving participants more than just a fun dining experience — it was a chance to understand life through the perspective of those who cannot see.

The event was held at Unilever’s office in Karachi and organised by the OICCI. Participants were blindfolded at the start of the dining experience, allowing them to experience the world in complete darkness, just as a person who cannot see would. Volunteers were present to assist, but from the beginning, participants struggled to manoeuvre and quickly realised the challenges faced by people who cannot see.

The next part was dining with the blindfolds still on. Khaas Foodz made the event even more unique by employing chefs with visual impairments to prepare the meals. This time, Hussain herself curated the menu and prepared the dishes, which participants found even tastier as their heightened senses enhanced the flavours.

One of the participants, Saadia Fahad, general manager DEI and culture and employee experience at K-Electric, shared with Images how humbling and thoughtful the entire experience was. “When you can see, you often overlook your surroundings. That’s why people say the blind have sharper hearing and awareness. I realised this when blindfolded — I could clearly hear the conversation at the table next to mine, noticing details I would have missed otherwise,” she explained.

Fahad also highlighted another key aspect of the experience. The dishes were arriving late, and someone at a nearby table asked, “Why is it all late?” Fahad, who heard this clearly, later reflected on the comment, pointing out that people often expect visually impaired individuals to function at the same pace as those with unimpaired vision. However, that’s not the reality. We need to recognise that they operate differently and extended more patience due to the challenges they face in everyday tasks.

“They don’t need to become faster. It’s us — those without disabilities — who need to slow down and adapt to their pace,” she said.

Speaking to Images, Tareen shared his motivation behind the project. “Dining in the Dark is common abroad [and] I wanted to bring this unique experience to Pakistan with an addition. I approached my sister Fizza, who is visually impaired like me and has a passion for cooking, and asked if she could design the menu. Our first event, a high-tea at NED University, was a huge success. Guests not only embraced the concept but were impressed by the food and the message behind it,” he explained.

According to Tareen, having a visually impaired chef for Dining in the Dark is even more impactful and helps create greater awareness.

The event also featured a panel discussion on corporate inclusivity and equal employment in all its forms, with insights from Tareen and Hussain, as well as Fahad and Fatima Arshad, the head of communications and sustainability at Unilever Pakistan. They discussed the responsibility of both the government and corporate sector in creating inclusive, supportive workplaces accessible for people with disabilities, while emphasising the importance of prioritising vocational training from an early stage.

All photos: OICCI