Mystery 'fish' on Karachi beach is a bad omen, say locals

"This fish is amazing. It has no face...where does it eat from?" ask local residents.

KARACHI: A mystery 'fish' was found on Clifton beach on Monday, drawing hundreds of eager onlookers.

The dead fish-like creature was found early morning during a low tide by locals, who alerted local police due to the strange nature of the carcass.

Security officials cordoned off the area, but a large crowd gathered to see the fish, creating a carnival-like atmosphere on the beach front.

"This fish is amazing. It has no face...where does it eat from?" asked Allah Ditta, a local resident.

Others looked upon the four-eyed fish creature as a bad omen for the city, or perhaps Pakistan. Some citizens said the fish was a sign that the upcoming elections would be delayed, or massive rigging would take place -- at least in the locale the fish creature was found.

Former Head of the Ministry of Local Fisheries and Aquatic Exploration, Azaad Muqam said the fish was likely the result of a mutation. He dismissed all rumours of the fish creature being a bad omen.

"A fish with four eyes and no mouth is not going to impact the elections...we are working hard towards free and fair polls, and if anything, extra eyes should be seen as a sign of greater scrutiny and transparency at the polls," Muqam said in a media briefing.

Local media report the fish's carcass is likely to be on display for the rest of the day as large crowds have gathered to see the new local attraction. It is also reported that the fish-creature may be preserved and displayed next to the carcass of the whale shark at the Pakistan Museum of Natural History.

Update: Have a merry April Fools day.