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Karachi vs Lahore - which city is better to live in in Pakistan?

Which city is better to live in Pakistan?

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Firebreaker

Firebreaker

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So how's everyone going on in PP? I have just made this thread to see which place is better to live in Pakistan.I don't qualify for this thread as I am a Lahori and I would be biased towards Lahore but I think Karachi is a good place to as it is more modernized and cultured than Lahore but I would like to ask for opinion of them who don't live in either city
 
I like Lahore better, but what I like about Karachi is the cultural diversity.
 
It would've made sense if you asked this question in 80's or 90's but now there's no contest to begin with as Lahore wins hands down!

As for modernisation and development so this myth that karachi is some how more modern or more consmopolitan than Lahore is in fact hyped up by the karachiites themselves (most of whom spend their entire lives living in Karachi without even visiting the rest of Pakistan).

The thing is that in Punjab superiority complex vis a vis the city you live in hardly exists so you would rarely see a Lahore looking down upon a Faisalabadi et al for living in a city that is more imporatnt than him/her.On the other hand karachiites have been suffering from this superiority complex since the independence and have passed it onto their next generations with an element of exaggeration to it and they have their own ethnic/migrational/insecure reasons for it!

Btw, these days when it comes to livability its not a question of Lhr vs khi but mostly [/b]Anywhere but Karachi[/b] :))

Livability03.jpg
 
Absolutely no comparison. If given a choice, people in Karachi would move to Lahore in a heartbeat. No point in living in a city where you have to constantly check your blind spot to avoid getting mugged.
 
I call BS on the above livability ranking.. it places the Canucks on top? yeah right.. and the Toronto and Calgary are their too but not the best city in Canada, Montreal!

Karachi is definitely more diverse than Lahore, but there has been little or no development in the city since the time Musharraf left. However, Lahore has massive amounts of money pumped into it by the chota Sharif. With that kind of development budget any city will start to shine.
 
Karachi is much more cosmopolitan, you will meet Pakistanis from all over the country in one city. Lahore is Punjab centric.
 
Karachi is done and dusted, Lahore is the best city to live in Pakistan today followed by Islamabad.
 
I visited both Lahore and islamabad being a karachiite myself.

1. small, dull, boring, shops close down at 7 people sleep at 8! . no soul. (islamabad)
2. Lahore, dusty, crowded, etc ...my visit was in 2009. It did not seem like a big metropolitan city i dont know how much it has changed since then. People stare you down from top to bottom because you look like a karachi wala.
3. Karachi, it has soul etc different localities have different feel to them,dha.clifton(living in this posh area i felt i like i was walking in some parts of singapore/dubai), saddar, gulshan e iqbal, fb area etc

As far as living in pakistan is concerned, the whole country is a mess if you are comparing it with other developed countries but if im stuck for choices then i sould simply choose karachi without having a second thought
 
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raskolnikov said:
I visited both Lahore and islamabad being a karachiite myself.

1. small, dull, boring, shops close down at 7 people sleep at 8! . no soul. (islamabad)
2. Lahore, dusty, crowded, etc ...my visit was in 2009. It did not seem like a big metropolitan city i dont know how much it has changed since then. People stare you down from top to bottom because you look like a karachi wala.
3. Karachi, it has soul etc different localities have different feel to them,dha.clifton(living in this posh area i felt i like i was walking in some parts of singapore/dubai), saddar, gulshan e iqbal, fb area etc

As far as living in pakistan is concerned, the whole country is a mess if you are comparing it with other developed countries but if im stuck for choices then i sould simply choose karachi without having a second thought
Click to expand...

Lahore 6 years ago was totally different to Lahore now.

I don't think our posh areas are any worse off than Karachi's tbh. As for soul, you clearly did not visit Old Lahore, the Mall, or Badshahi Mosque or the like. It's actually quite the opposite for me - Karachi seems like the dustier, older cosmopolitan - but it has none of Lahore's soul or vibrancy. cheers.
 
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I'm from Karachi so my opinion will obviously me biased. Plus not been to Pak in over 10 years so no idea which city is better now. All I can say in favor of Karachi is that a writer like Mohammad Hanif (Case of exploding mangoes) and originally from Punjab and musician like Rohail Hayat originally from Pindi are settled in Karachi.

Karachi no matter how dusty and worn out is still the most cosmopolitan city in Pak. Lahore seemed too over the top and showy to me, like they are trying too hard to be number one. How else to explain that ridiculous self congratulatory song "Lohr Lohr hai"....Karachiities never felt the need to make such a song....they are pretty confident about their superiority.

Then again, I'm biased.
 
Load shedding in Lahore is even worse and the shortage of gas supplies during winter season will get to you. Security wise Karachi is worse but then again people learn to live there.
 
No comparison b/w world's 7 largest city and Lahore ...

Lahore life is too slow for Karachhite ...
 
I'm certainly biased towards Lahore, but imo, if you compare the ground realities (I came back from Pakistan 2 weeks back, having spent the majority of my time in Lahore, though) - Lahore's development has been astounding. At this point in time, it's certainly nowhere near less than Karachi.

You'd actually be surprised at the rate of Karachiites shifting to Lahore during the past few years. I've heard some grown-ups talk about how it has resulted in a boom in the property market in LHR.

And seriously guys, 'Lahore Lahore Ay?' :))) Really?? :D If anyone takes this as a serious track or Lahore's true anthem, or an indicator of Lahori culture (the supposed 'showbaazi'), then they're gravely, gravely mistaken :))
 
Actually the musical group (if they can even be called a group) post "Lohr Lohr" fame made an even more ridiculous song about Karachi. It was dreadful. God knows why they decided to do that....maybe to capitalize on the supposedly huge market of songs lionizing cities or to look neutral. It was so insignificant that I don't even remember now how it went. At least "Lohr Lohr" had a catchy best and memorable hook to it.

Btw, Lahories always end up saying "Lohr Lohr ay" whenever you bring up the Karachi vs. Lahore debate. Hence the significance of the song.
 
^ They did? Now that's just mean, I never knew that.. :sanga

TBH, it's just a phrase,bro.. It'll never have as much strength or anything than any quomi naghma for that matter. And believe me, a vast majority of Lahorites probably no nothing more than the beat and one or two verses at best (including me) :) ..

Yep, Lahoris will end up saying it, irrespective of it's factual insignificance :narine
 
So much talk of a song without a video, here you go. "Lohr lohr aye" in London :))

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zbrAznvviaI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
saadibaba said:
So much talk of a song without a video, here you go. "Lohr lohr aye" in London :))

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zbrAznvviaI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Click to expand...

Ballay Ballay Khaalo Dahi Ballay :)))

How can you not like that?! :))
 
Laal said:
Absolutely no comparison. If given a choice, people in Karachi would move to Lahore in a heartbeat. No point in living in a city where you have to constantly check your blind spot to avoid getting mugged.
Click to expand...

This.

You a lot of Karachites moving to Lahore but you will hardly see anyone from Lahore moving to Karachi.
 
saadibaba said:
I'm from Karachi so my opinion will obviously me biased. Plus not been to Pak in over 10 years so no idea which city is better now. All I can say in favor of Karachi is that a writer like Mohammad Hanif (Case of exploding mangoes) and originally from Punjab and musician like Rohail Hayat originally from Pindi are settled in Karachi.

Karachi no matter how dusty and worn out is still the most cosmopolitan city in Pak. Lahore seemed too over the top and showy to me, like they are trying too hard to be number one. How else to explain that ridiculous self congratulatory song "Lohr Lohr hai"....Karachiities never felt the need to make such a song....they are pretty confident about their superiority.

Then again, I'm biased.
Click to expand...


Are you sure? :13:

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bkzhkt6dyAo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
To be fair, Karachi of early 2000s and before was head and shoulders above Lahore. And I'm sure it will rise again.
 
Laal said:
Are you sure? :13:

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bkzhkt6dyAo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Click to expand...

That's the song I was talking about which the "Lohr Lohr aye" fame duo made for Karachi after their Lahore song. Abysmal isn't it. No wonder it was made by a Lahori for Karachi. The half hearted, tepid and unenthusiastic tone and lyrics makes it clear that this monstrosity took place just to spite the Karachiities.
 
What about "Bandar Road se Kemari?" Wouldn't that be a more appropriate Karachi anthem?

Interesting discussion, this. Not being a native of either city, but having lived in both, I can afford to watch from the sidelines ;)
 
Nostalgic said:
What about "Bandar Road se Kemari?" Wouldn't that be a more appropriate Karachi anthem?

Interesting discussion, this. Not being a native of either city, but having lived in both, I can afford to watch from the sidelines ;)
Click to expand...

Yes, I was going to mention that. Great song. Reminiscent of the good ole days.

You might be the best judge btw, free of bias.
 
saadibaba said:
Yes, I was going to mention that. Great song. Reminiscent of the good ole days.

You might be the best judge btw, free of bias.
Click to expand...

Karachi and Lahore, apart from being the two largest cities in the country, are so different, I'm not sure if the proponents of one will ever be able to convince the others'. I say visit both, heck, buy a house in each, gorge yourself on both haleem and hareesa, pay your respects at both Jinnah's and Iqbal's tombs, go to the beach and the Wagah border, Mohatta Palace and the fort, Abdullah Shah Ghazi and Data Darbar, celebrate what each one has to offer...






... and then move to Islamabad (sorry, I just had to say it ;) ... )
 
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You can just compare "Bandar road se kemari" a soft, gentle and subtle praise and mini tour of Karachi with the loud, bombastic, full of empty bravado "Lohr Lohr aye" to know the differnce between the nature of Karachiities and Lahoris. No Karachiite will stoop to saying such ignorant stuff like, if you have'nt seen Lahore, your not good enough -"Jinne Lohr ni Dikhya Woh Jamya nai"...that statement screams of insecurity and inferiority complex.
 
saadibaba said:
You can just compare "Bandar road se kemari" a soft, gentle and subtle praise and mini tour of Karachi with the loud, bombastic, full of empty bravado "Lohr Lohr aye" to know the differnce between the nature of Karachiities and Lahoris. No Karachiite will stoop to saying such ignorant stuff like, if you have'nt seen Lahore, your not good enough -"Jinne Lohr ni Dikhya Woh Jamya nai"...that statement screams of insecurity and inferiority complex.
Click to expand...

you're starting to sound pretty desperate by reading so much into an idiom/expression.
 
Nostalgic said:
Karachi and Lahore, apart from being the two largest cities in the country, are so different, I'm not sure if the proponents of one will ever be able to convince the others'. I say visit both, heck, buy a house in each, gorge yourself on both haleem and hareesa, pay your respects at both Jinnah's and Iqbal's tombs, go to the beach and the Wagah border, Mohatta Palace and the fort, Abdullah Shah Ghazi and Data Darbar, celebrate what each one has to offer...






... and then move to Islamabad (sorry, I just had to say it ;) ... )
Click to expand...

Lol, fair enough. Agree with everything but the last sentence :)

I find this Lahore Karachi debate quite useless myself but saw a lot of Karachi bashing in this thread so had to chime in with my two cents and come to the defense of my hometown.
 
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AZ said:
you're starting to sound pretty desperate by reading so much into an idiom/expression.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't have if every second Lahori wouldn't be saying it non stop in my ears as to justify his own existence.
 
I have heard Shahbaz Sharif has made Lahore the Paris of the East. Having never been to Lahore, I can't substantiate that claim.
 
saadibaba said:
You can just compare "Bandar road se kemari" a soft, gentle and subtle praise and mini tour of Karachi with the loud, bombastic, full of empty bravado "Lohr Lohr aye" to know the differnce between the nature of Karachiities and Lahoris. No Karachiite will stoop to saying such ignorant stuff like, if you have'nt seen Lahore, your not good enough -"Jinne Lohr ni Dikhya Woh Jamya nai"...that statement screams of insecurity and inferiority complex.
Click to expand...

In fact, I'd claim the opposite. For most part, it's the Karachites' over-exaggerated effort to appear more 'sophisticated' that leads to such statements and generalisations. I see a lot of empty-bravado here, not in Lahore.

Lahoris are generally just khullay-dhullay, lively-hearted people. They express and celebrate it openly, with no holds barred and perhaps a tad too enthusiastically. Nevertheless, nothing about this reeks of 'insecurity or inferiority complex'. It's how we are, and no shame in celebrating our culture even if done in a paindoo song which no one takes seriously.

Also, the direct translation is 'You're not born yet', not 'Youre not good enough'.. Different meanings.. And bro, Karachiites have stooped to way lower statements and blogs than that to get their point across - if we're to take Express Tribune as an example.
 
Lahoris are much more racist towards Peshawaris though, unlike Karachities.
 
^ Well, I'm not :baelish I don't know anybody who is, actually..

But we have a few bad apples here and there, so I can make peace with that. Unfortunately... :sanga
 
Well actually they are kind of racist towards all cities and look down upon them.

From a personal experience, I find Karachities much more dignified and respectful. The chichorapan of Lahoris can be off-putting and they are very inspired by the Indian culture.

Karachi from me is the true representation of Pakistan, and I agree with Saadibaba that its the most cosmopolitan city in the country and was the true representation of the tolerant and secular Pakistan of the 60s, a Pakistan that died with Zia.

The reason why I prefer Lahore today is that its much more vibrant and generally a happier place. The downfall of Karachi that started in the mid 90s is in full swing now, and the real Karachi is nowhere to be found.
 
Mamoon said:
From a personal experience, I find Karachities much more dignified and respectful. The chichorapan of Lahoris can be off-putting and they are very inspired by the Indian culture.
Click to expand...

Elaborate? Do people from Lahore enjoy the IPL, Bollywood and saas-bahu serials?
 
Varun said:
Elaborate? Do people from Lahore enjoy the IPL, Bollywood and saas-bahu serials?
Click to expand...

Yeah they do watch saas bahu and Bollywood,Chennai Express made the record in Pakistan for highest business in the country and huge fan following of SRK and Sallu here
 
saadibaba said:
You can just compare "Bandar road se kemari" a soft, gentle and subtle praise and mini tour of Karachi with the loud, bombastic, full of empty bravado "Lohr Lohr aye" to know the differnce between the nature of Karachiities and Lahoris. No Karachiite will stoop to saying such ignorant stuff like, if you have'nt seen Lahore, your not good enough -"Jinne Lohr ni Dikhya Woh Jamya nai"...that statement screams of insecurity and inferiority complex.
Click to expand...

LOL Thats why we everyday see MQM announcing mourning in Karachi for 3 days
 
Varun said:
Elaborate? Do people from Lahore enjoy the IPL, Bollywood and saas-bahu serials?
Click to expand...

Everyone in Pakistan does that, but the customs in Punjab are very similar to the western India culture/the mash-up Indian culture portrayed in Bollywood movies to cater to a wider audience.

This is especially obvious in wedding customs; nothing original, just half-baked imitations of India.

Its understandable because Punjab was the hub of the Indian subcontinent, and breaking it up wasn't going to change anything, just create a national divide.
 
blinding light said:
In fact, I'd claim the opposite. For most part, it's the Karachites' over-exaggerated effort to appear more 'sophisticated' that leads to such statements and generalisations. I see a lot of empty-bravado here, not in Lahore.

Lahoris are generally just khullay-dhullay, lively-hearted people. They express and celebrate it openly, with no holds barred and perhaps a tad too enthusiastically. Nevertheless, nothing about this reeks of 'insecurity or inferiority complex'. It's how we are, and no shame in celebrating our culture even if done in a paindoo song which no one takes seriously.

Also, the direct translation is 'You're not born yet', not 'Youre not good enough'.. Different meanings.. And bro, Karachiites have stooped to way lower statements and blogs than that to get their point across - if we're to take Express Tribune as an example.
Click to expand...

Couldn't agree more. I actually like Karachiites for that sophistication in a lot of ways, but sometimes it just comes across as pretentious. I haven't been back in a long time but the Lahore I remember is exactly how you describe it. Just a lively and friendly place with the best of both worlds, old and new.
 
Mamoon said:
Everyone in Pakistan does that, but the customs in Punjab are very similar to the western India culture/the mash-up Indian culture portrayed in Bollywood movies to cater to a wider audience.

This is especially obvious in wedding customs; nothing original, just half-baked imitations of India.

Its understandable because Punjab was the hub of the Indian subcontinent, and breaking it up wasn't going to change anything, just create a national divide.
Click to expand...

This is the weirdest half-baked generalisation guised as some calculative opinion I've ever read.

Lahore alludes to a Punjabi culture. Indian-Punjab allude to their Punjabi culture. There are obviously a lot of similarities in both these cultures, even when practised under differing religions. Lahore has been the leading city in Punjab for hundreds of years and you damn well know that man.

You honestly need to visit Lahore beyond the walls of your house (or weddings) to realise why/how it may be similar to Indian cities like Delhi but is far from being a second-rate Indian imitation project you make it out to be.
 
blinding light said:
This is the weirdest half-baked generalisation guised as some calculative opinion I've ever read.

Lahore alludes to a Punjabi culture. Indian-Punjab allude to their Punjabi culture. There are obviously a lot of similarities in both these cultures, even when practised under differing religions. Lahore has been the leading city in Punjab for hundreds of years and you damn well know that man.

You honestly need to visit Lahore beyond the walls of your house (or weddings) to realise why/how it may be similar to Indian cities like Delhi but is far from being a second-rate Indian imitation project you make it out to be.
Click to expand...

That's what I'm saying, I didn't mean to tick you off.

But in 68 years, Lahore should have carved out its own identity, but its still heavily influenced by Indian culture.

Yes I already acknowledged that it is understandable to a certain degree, but Karachi historically has been the true representation of Pakistani culture, not Lahore, Islamabad or Peshawar (Heavily influenced by Afghan culture).

Karachi is the only city with its own identity and Islamabad is just a fusion of all the aforementioned cultures.
 
Mamoon said:
That's what I'm saying, I didn't mean to tick you off.

But in 68 years, Lahore should have carved out its own identity, but its still heavily influenced by Indian culture.

Yes I already acknowledged that it is understandable to a certain degree, but Karachi historically has been the true representation of Pakistani culture, not Lahore, Islamabad or Peshawar (Heavily influenced by Afghan culture).

Karachi is the only city with its own identity and Islamabad is just a fusion of all the aforementioned cultures.
Click to expand...

LOL who said that Lahore doesnt have its own identity?
 
Lahore has a distinct identity and culture - I've met Delhi-based students visiting Lahore on an exchange program practically concede to this point. And historically or culturally, Lahore is much similar to Delhi than Karachi. That is a gross misunderstanding on your end Mamoon.
 
Mamoon said:
That's what I'm saying, I didn't mean to tick you off.

But in 68 years, Lahore should have carved out its own identity, but its still heavily influenced by Indian culture.

Yes I already acknowledged that it is understandable to a certain degree, but Karachi historically has been the true representation of Pakistani culture, not Lahore, Islamabad or Peshawar (Heavily influenced by Afghan culture).

Karachi is the only city with its own identity and Islamabad is just a fusion of all the aforementioned cultures.
Click to expand...

Why should Lahore culture change to become something it isn't? They don't need to adopt or adapt culture to something foreign, to me that shows that they are secure and comfortable with their historic roots.
 
Mamoon said:
That's what I'm saying, I didn't mean to tick you off.

But in 68 years, Lahore should have carved out its own identity, but its still heavily influenced by Indian culture.

Yes I already acknowledged that it is understandable to a certain degree, but Karachi historically has been the true representation of Pakistani culture, not Lahore, Islamabad or Peshawar (Heavily influenced by Afghan culture).

Karachi is the only city with its own identity and Islamabad is just a fusion of all the aforementioned cultures.
Click to expand...

Culture comes with the history and if you isolate the the culture from the history and try to create a new culture you will mess up the heritage of that country. Pakistan was part of the India and so does the culture. The 12 gates of lahore, the lahore Fort, the Anarkali Bazar, Shalimaar Garden, Mall road, etc are what defines lahore. No one cares about DHA or Model Town link Road or Jaati Umara.
 
Cpt. Rishwat said:
Why should Lahore culture change to become something it isn't? They don't need to adopt or adapt culture to something foreign, to me that shows that they are secure and comfortable with their historic roots.
Click to expand...

Anfield said:
Culture comes with the history and if you isolate the the culture from the history and try to create a new culture you will mess up the heritage of that country. Pakistan was part of the India and so does the culture. The 12 gates of lahore, the lahore Fort, the Anarkali Bazar, Shalimaar Garden, Mall road, etc are what defines lahore. No one cares about DHA or Model Town link Road or Jaati Umara.
Click to expand...

Thank you, kind sirs!
 
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