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

[Syed1]

So Karachi which has low amount of electricity theft and generates its own electricity should have the same load shedding as other places. Now I've heard it all

 

[Syed1]

The best time for Karachi in terms of development was the Musharaf/Mustafa Kamal era.. widespread development was started in the city, but there has been next to nothing since Zardari/Nawaz took over.

 

[amax]

Yes

Its a crying shame that a city which provides much more the half of the tax revenue in the country is treated like a sautaila bacha by the people in Islamabad.

Taxation from a province should remain in the province. 18th amendment had all this hype abt provincial autonomy and what not but was little more than a smokescreen

The high tax collection of karachi is because it is only major port and it involves customs on good produced throughout the country who are brought in for export.

 

[amax]

*which

 

[Slog]

So Karachi which has low amount of electricity theft and generates its own electricity should have the same load shedding as other places. Now I've heard it all

Yes that's what I found funny and shows how ignorant or misinformed the poster is

Karachi generates its own electricity for the most part and has low rates of electricity theft

 

[Slog]

The high tax collection of karachi is because it is only major port and it involves customs on good produced throughout the country who are brought in for export.

that is not counted in the 70% income tax

problem with other cities is tax evasion. Karachi its much lesser. Dunno why.

I know so many people from well off families in other cities (well, Lahore) who don't pay income tax by evading it or pay very low by underreporting their income and wealth. And worst is they dnt see it as doing sth wrong. They think taxation is govt stealing their money or sth

 

[Slog]

The best time for Karachi in terms of development was the Musharaf/Mustafa Kamal era.. widespread development was started in the city, but there has been next to nothing since Zardari/Nawaz took over.

PPP felt insecure and did away with the Nazim system

a person who is appointed out of nowhere as administrator of the city and is not elected and hence accountable to the citizens has no incentive to be active in improving the city

 

[Syed1]

PPP felt insecure and did away with the Nazim system

a person who is appointed out of nowhere as administrator of the city and is not elected and hence accountable to the citizens has no incentive to be active in improving the city

I don't quite agree with the MQM ideology but Mustafa Kamal did work day and night during his tenure and the change in the city was very apparent. He was the first one who initiated the talk of having a mass-transit system in the city, cleaned up the streets and started rapid construction of infrastructure.

However I was so disappointed when I visited Karachi this January, every year the city is getting worse due to neglect and lack of development.

 

[Slog]

I don't quite agree with the MQM ideology but Mustafa Kamal did work day and night during his tenure and the change in the city was very apparent. He was the first one who initiated the talk of having a mass-transit system in the city, cleaned up the streets and started rapid construction of infrastructure.

However I was so disappointed when I visited Karachi this January, every year the city is getting worse due to neglect and lack of development.

its stuck in a time-warp in terms of infrastructure

but the restaurant and food scene reaches new heights everyday

 

[justarslan]

In terms of development, Lahore is definitely catching up with Karachi and their gradient of trajectory is a lot higher, meaning the way things stand Lahore is going to move ahead of Karachi.

This is despite the fact that Karachi has the highest GDP output in the country.

The reason being the Lahori boys are in the PM office and they have always given special attention to their home town while ignoring Karachi..

Lahore already has higher HDI than Karachi. Who was running country before Sharif brothers?

 

[endymion248]

If you are too lazy to do a simple google search I will do it:



http://nation.com.pk/business/09-Apr-2012/karachi-contributes-rs-16-billion-to-gdp-a-day

I don't know why you are getting bent out of shape. You made the point and you feel so strongly about this that it is natural for me to assume that you have data that I don't know of which proves, using the capital flow from Punjab to Karachi, that Karachi is creating the immense majority of taxed wealth in the country and getting nothing in return. Karachi is the financial capital of Pakistan and, as such, of course a majority of taxes are filed from there (not generated). However, it is also an economic hub (the main one in Pakistan) and, from its state, it is evidently underfunded. Is it chronically underfunded on a federal level? No. Pakistan does have very regionally divided lines and, as such, PML-N will naturally favor Punjab (though there are some huge federal projects in Karachi (ex: Kanupp projects which should amount to 10 bil $ if completed, big if)) or PPP will favor Interior Sindh (the same region that was neglected under Musharaff). It was one of the main point of PML-N's campaign that they did well in Punjab despite the federal government trying to sabotage them. That's the whole point of regional politics, finding scapegoats for your shortcomings by using shock stats like "Karachi creates 50% of the money in Pakistan". You wouldn't expect educated people to fall for it. I guess it's easy to see where the anger comes from: Lahore has huge infrastructure budget but Karachi doesn't. Mustapha Kamal built a lot so Karachi could be having the same projects without Punjab stealing away.
Two points here: building is sexy but nobody wants to pay for maintainance. One culprit (not the main one, of course) could precisely be all the costs generated by all those projects ten years ago. Second point is that Lahore infrastructure is funded by regional budget and is being siphoned a lot more from south Punjab and rural parts of northern Punjab than it is from Karachi.

1) Karachi buys it. It is not subsidized and whatever is subsidized is paid for by the government. And do you even know how these agricultural products work? Its not a free market for farmers to sell it to whoever. The govt pays a set price. Theres no negotiation

Which is precisely my point. The market is regulated to insure foos security for areas in food shortage without it. And I don't mind, I'd rather our starving brothers from Karachi be fed than seeing a few more rupees go to mill owners. It is also why the hateful attitude of some Karachi inhabitants hurts so much.

No it is. But atm nothing is being spent on Karachi. There has been no major work in Karachi since 2007. The only project going on these days is a private on (Bahria). I don't have an issue with it being equitably distributed. Problem right now its not
being distributed at all and ending up in one province.

Yes, all the money ending up in Punjab is the reason why Karachi has not had infrastructure development, not the politics between MQM and PPP or the security situation. Blame Punjab and not the 10 billions $ of Sindh budget going to waste.

3) Punjab/KP get electricity. Just not enough because there is not enough to go around. A lot of Karachi's power is generated in Karachi or just outside it if you didn't know. very little comes from Punjab gridlines. Also more importantly, you cannot point to the lack of loadshedding in industrial areas and say that Karachi gets preference. the residential areas suffer too. Thirdly, WAPDA/KESC and the ministry in charge of this has a new system where areas with lesser electricity theft and timely payment of bills are given preference. Not Karachi's fault that the well off areas pay bills on time and are honest in that regard. In the slums its as bad as any village. Again poor logic.

Of course Punjab isn't giving Karachi electricity, it barely has any itself. My point here is different. The metropolitan areas in Pakistan are extremely demanding in energy. Maybe Karachi generates mostly its own electricity (same for Lahore) but, because that's not always case (and because their sources of energy are more costly /kWh (ie ship imported oil mainly), it drives the price of the whole system up, not just Karachi's. And, of course, Karachi can pay it but not the Peshawar farmer who needs 100k rupees/month to pay for his water despite the fact that dam electricity costs a lot less per unit of electricity than the current price. This is even ignoring the regionalism against the building of new dams. On a regional level, a lot of entities are self-sufficient for their consumption and even those that aren't would have less load shedding if the prices of electricity reflected the cost of production.

 

[Slog]

Guys. Lets not get into cheap talk territory and keep our opinions on women from the respective cities to ourselves. Serves no purpose

 

[CricketCartoons]

Time for this song again to shut up the haters.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RQj0dNTF3dg?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[RWAC]

As a non-Pakistani, if there is one city I have to visit in Pakistan, Lahore it will be.

 

[Anchorman]

There's no question about it that right now Lahore is a much better city to live in. The street-crime is about 200% less than Karachi and there's more security of life in the city compared to Karachi. These things count for a lot. You can have as many awesome places to visit as you want but at the end of the day if you have to keep looking over your shoulder to check if a CD125 is tailing you then that dampens your excitement.

Lahore has also developed over the years, people who are still calling it a glorified pind probably haven't been there for a while. My brother was one of those people - a die-hard Karachiite, but even he claimed that Lahore is on an upward trend when he visited the city last year. Without being cheap or anything, I also think Lahore trumps Karachi, when it comes to beautiful women while Islamabad owns both. That's all I have to say about that.

I spent my childhood in Karachi and I go there every summer during my vacations. In an ideal world, without any security issues, Karachi beats Lahore by simply being a metropolitan city and having that big-city feel to it. However, given the political insecurity surrounding that city, it'd be very tough to pick Karachi over Lahore and yes, security of life trumps everything.

 

[Stewie]

I am from Lahore so I might be biased but from what I keep hearing about Karachi from my friends who are from there, I have to say lahore wins hands down.

Almost everyone from Karachi I know has lost someone in the violence in Karachi and Karachi always seems to elect the people who are responsible for such heavy loss of life.

I dont think anything compared to lack of safety, no matter if the place has beaches, diverse culture what not.

People are always going to be biased towards where they live. There is a saying "home is where the heart is" so most of us will probably have biased opinions.

This question will be best answered by a third person in my opinion.

 

[junaid.ahmed]

the things which made karachi looks bad than lahore are

violence: this thing made the karachi one of the worst city of the world, killings, street crimes, strikes etc leave the bad marks on the city face, though the circumstances are changing significantly under this govt but still the fear & anxiousness is still inside our hearts & I hope this govt will never fell in mufahamat like ppp did which was clearly the worst period for the city.

cleanliness: it is the second big issue with the city. Seepage, stock of dirt & garbage, broken roads, encroachment is nowadays every where in karachi & so far this pp+mqm combination has done nothing for the city except looting & corruption with both hands & infrastructure been ruined by both these parties.

distance travelling: it is the third big issue from which peoples here suffer most, 3 to 4 hours of travelling is very common for the citizens I myself used to travel almost 4 hours daily (up & down) & its also leave a bad impact on the moods of peoples, peoples become more hyper, rigid & rude sometimes.

the things which made karachi a better city than lahore

business: so far lahore is way behind in business, if karachi earn the country earn & I think if karachi stagnant on its place today lahore will take 25 years to come closer in business.

diversity in culture: who ever you are, from where ever you come, what ever your language is & what ever your religion, group, caste is no matter you can easily survive here & you wont feel stranger your self.

Natural beauty: though lahore have higher marks in greenery but it is the thing which you can find in every second part of the country the natural beauty which differentiate karachi from other country is its beaches, even in beaches there are diversification & choices, rough sea, calm sea beaches, with rocks & so many even there are so many undiscovered at yet
let me share my experience of gharo visit. Its tidal halophytic mangrove forest I felt that I am some where in sunderban forest or srilanka

 

[junaid.ahmed]

^ overall I suggest lahore is better place bcz for living you essentially need life

 

[amax]

There's no question about it that right now Lahore is a much better city to live in. The street-crime is about 200% less than Karachi and there's more security of life in the city compared to Karachi. These things count for a lot. You can have as many awesome places to visit as you want but at the end of the day if you have to keep looking over your shoulder to check if a CD125 is tailing you then that dampens your excitement.

Lahore has also developed over the years, people who are still calling it a glorified pind probably haven't been there for a while. My brother was one of those people - a die-hard Karachiite, but even he claimed that Lahore is on an upward trend when he visited the city last year. Without being cheap or anything, I also think Lahore trumps Karachi, when it comes to beautiful women while Islamabad owns both. That's all I have to say about that.

I spent my childhood in Karachi and I go there every summer during my vacations. In an ideal world, without any security issues, Karachi beats Lahore by simply being a metropolitan city and having that big-city feel to it. However, given the political insecurity surrounding that city, it'd be very tough to pick Karachi over Lahore and yes, security of life trumps everything.

Agree completely on women this is my experience too when you average out sample size.Islo>Lhr>>Khi

 

[Saqs]

^ overall I suggest lahore is better place bcz for living you essentially need life

Lol this about sums it up.

 

[Cricket lover 27]

Lahoris are much more racist towards Peshawaris though, unlike Karachities.

This...Karachi is the most accommodating city of Pak in fact an ANP leader said there are more pashtun in Karachi than Peshawar and I cannot dispute that...from Punjabi's to Sindhi's to pakhtun's to Balochi's...Karachi welcomes them all...

 

[Cricket lover 27]

If Karachi is so bad why it is the first or second largest city for each ethnicity in Pakistan? Why hordes and hordes of people are still flocking to Karachi each year despite receiving a stepchild treatment by all recent governments at the expense of Pakistan's economy BTW? I won't be surprised if Karachi has more Punjabis than Lahore or more Pakhtuns than Peshawar!

Yeah people are moving to Karachi despite it's so called "kharab haalat". The maid in my house recently moved from interior Punjab to Karachi because guess what?? She wanted to pay off her debt and what better place to earn money than Karachi.

 

[yasir]

Weather wise best city is Pindi/ISB, Lahore and Karachi had bad weather 8 out of 12 months. Where as in Pindi/ISB its reverse 8 good and four bad months of weather. Plus Muree, Kashmir is 2-3 hours drive, that matters to me a lot not only because I am from there but because I love mountains and northern areas wilderness, that's one of the best part of Pakistan. I would always look to settle in Islamabad(if I am ever going back), it's way better than any other city.

Karachi has lot more potential after and when MQM leave the town, it's operating on 10%.

Lahore is very cultural city but ruined by Ganga Pappi and Sunni extremist as well as Tabliggi head quarter. Like rest of Pakistan culture of Lahore is on the decline as the rise of religious powers. It also has gone backwards rather than forward.

Food wise I love Peshawar the most (I lived there for 5 years of university). If you are meat lover, nothing beats Peshawar for food. Rest is pretty quite town and now completely run by extremist in many sense. It needed secular influence but got the reverse in already a conservative culture.

Overall Pakistan need a major cultural makeover, Pakistan 2.0 was horrible, it was going in reverse direction (since last 30 years or so). I would love to see Pakistan 3.0, that aligns with 21st century not 6th. Then we will see a better and expressive culture of ours.




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[justarslan]

Karachi hamaray Jinnah sahib ka shahar. Lahore hamaray Khan saab ka shahar. Dono azeem shahar hain.

 

[endymion248]

The one which has a metro

 

[Slog]

The one which has a metro

The one who sees citizens from the other one move to it for work

 

[endymion248]

The one who sees citizens from the other one move to it for work

You moved to lahore too?

 

[Syed1]

The one which has a metro

I guess the metro has made it easier to get to the railway station/airport, that is why more and more people flock to Karachi for work.

 

[endymion248]

I guess the metro has made it easier to get to the railway station/airport, that is why more and more people flock to Karachi for work.

Like people from Karachi flock to Dubai and Saudi Arabia? Karachi is to us what Saudia is to you.

 

[Slog]

Like people from Karachi flock to Dubai and Saudi Arabia? Karachi is to us what Saudia is to you.

Since when did you become Lahori anyway?

Also not many Karachiites in Saudi. Dubai yea

 

[endymion248]

Since when did you become Lahori anyway?

Also not many Karachiites in Saudi. Dubai yea

Lohor Lohor aye

 

[TM Riddle]

Always heard great things about Lahore.Would love to visit it one day.
Karachi seems poor men's Mumbai to me.

 

[proud_pakistani]

This would have been a good debate about 10 years a go. Now, Lahore is a far superior city. Much better infrastructure and security than Karachi. It is far cleaner, has historical sites which have been maintained. Generally I would say Punjab is much more well looked after than Sindh.

The only things Karachi has over Lahore is it is a far more lively city - everything stays on much late, mehndi's go on till 4 in the morning while in Lahore they shut off everything early and of course they have a beach.

 

[Syed1]

This would have been a good debate about 10 years a go. Now, Lahore is a far superior city. Much better infrastructure and security than Karachi. It is far cleaner, has historical sites which have been maintained. Generally I would say Punjab is much more well looked after than Sindh.

The only things Karachi has over Lahore is it is a far more lively city - everything stays on much late, mehndi's go on till 4 in the morning while in Lahore they shut off everything early and of course they have a beach.

I think this assessment is correct.

Karachi doesn't even have a freaking highway. We are everybody's sutela child. PML-N ignores the city because they get zero seats from here. PPP ignores the city because they get max 1 or 2 seats from here. MQM just uses this city for bhatta and furthering their agenda. PTI won one seat from here in the last election and I doubt if they would be even able to repeat that feat.

Karachiites have no one to turn to who would give the city the attention it needs, because right now there are massive problems and nobody is looking to tackle them.

 

[Slog]

As a city from infrastructure point of view Labore is far ahead these days there's no doubt.

But you also have to see which city is seeing more migration and Karachi still leads the way considerably there.

 

[Slog]

I think this assessment is correct.

Karachi doesn't even have a freaking highway. We are everybody's sutela child. PML-N ignores the city because they get zero seats from here. PPP ignores the city because they get max 1 or 2 seats from here. MQM just uses this city for bhatta and furthering their agenda. PTI won one seat from here in the last election and I doubt if they would be even able to repeat that feat.

Karachiites have no one to turn to who would give the city the attention it needs, because right now there are massive problems and nobody is looking to tackle them.

The problem is that no one is given control. Mqm won the mayoral election but still it has been given zero powers. Mqm may not do anything but atleast that will be apparent. Right now they can just point out towards the ill treatment of how they weren't given any power despite the mandate and point it as an example of Karachi being marginalised and it's voice not being heard. And then they can use this to win next election because from the whole bunch it's the only one which raises the voice even if it's not genuine and for drama

 

[Third_Umpire]

Lahore is probably safer, prettier, has historical sites, food is probably better, better roads, etc.

But Karachi is a live wire of a city, a true metropolis. You feel alive and the energy in the city at all hours of the day and night. For those that like city life, that feeling of being alive is almost indescribable and magical. In Pakistan, I have only felt it in Karachi. In my visit to India, I kind of felt the same in Mumbai, but not in Delhi/Bangalore.

 

[KB]

Set in historical perspective, Karachi’s growth has been staggering. Its status was elevated by the separation of Sind from the Bombay presidency in 1937. It was becoming a major commercial centre in the 1940s, overtaking Bombay as the main port in British India for the export of cotton. But few could have foretold the population explosion that ensued after 1947. Partition enhanced its status. With the major ports going to India, it became Pakistan’s main port and it was chosen as the capital city, with the close proximity of Lahore to the border counting against it.

The 1941 census recorded 435,000 inhabitants in Karachi. By 1951, the census recorded a population 1.12 million. Between 1941 and 1961 its population had grown by over 400%, prompting the geographer Oliver Spate to remark that this was growth unmatched in history, anywhere. The city had gone from being a Hindu majority city in 1947 to a city with 55% of its inhabitants being classified as refugees per the 1951 census.

In Punjab the partition related migration was a condensed and en masse movement, which virtually ceased by the end of 1947. In addition Punjabis settled all over the province. In Sind the migration bore similarities with West Bengal. Like West Bengal, migratory movement, rather than being within a compact time frame, was stretched over many years - a quarter of a century. The migrants settled predominantly in Karachi (in West Bengal around Calcutta) creating Mohajir enclaves in the city.

Because of the shocking nature of the violence in Punjab, the emptying of minorities on both sides of the Punjab border, and because of the availability of evacuee property, there was a greater focus for refugee resettlement in Punjab than Karachi (the same can be said when comparing refugee rehabilitation between East Punjab and West Bengal in India). Seven years after the partitioners axe had been wielded, about a third of Karachi’s Mohajirs were still awaiting rehabilitation. This contributed to the growth of squatter communities with ‘improvised dwellings’ in Karachi – again this could be compared to Calcutta. Whereas in Punjab, the state had assisted with migration of minority communities across the border, by May 1950, the state had withdrawn refugee assistance at the Khokrapur border in an effort to foreclose further movement (again there are similarities with what happened in West Bengal, where the state sought to discourage further migration).

Karachi has maintained its status as the economic engine of Pakistan and has such continued to act a magnet for migrants, but not so much across the borders as within Pakistan. There have been waves of migration from Punjabis, Pathans, Balochis, Sindhis from the interior. It is worth recalling that Karachi is the third largest Pakhtun city in the world and there are more Balochis in Karachi than Quetta.

 

[endymion248]

Set in historical perspective, Karachi’s growth has been staggering. Its status was elevated by the separation of Sind from the Bombay presidency in 1937. It was becoming a major commercial centre in the 1940s, overtaking Bombay as the main port in British India for the export of cotton. But few could have foretold the population explosion that ensued after 1947. Partition enhanced its status. With the major ports going to India, it became Pakistan’s main port and it was chosen as the capital city, with the close proximity of Lahore to the border counting against it.

The 1941 census recorded 435,000 inhabitants in Karachi. By 1951, the census recorded a population 1.12 million. Between 1941 and 1961 its population had grown by over 400%, prompting the geographer Oliver Spate to remark that this was growth unmatched in history, anywhere. The city had gone from being a Hindu majority city in 1947 to a city with 55% of its inhabitants being classified as refugees per the 1951 census.

In Punjab the partition related migration was a condensed and en masse movement, which virtually ceased by the end of 1947. In addition Punjabis settled all over the province. In Sind the migration bore similarities with West Bengal. Like West Bengal, migratory movement, rather than being within a compact time frame, was stretched over many years - a quarter of a century. The migrants settled predominantly in Karachi (in West Bengal around Calcutta) creating Mohajir enclaves in the city.

Because of the shocking nature of the violence in Punjab, the emptying of minorities on both sides of the Punjab border, and because of the availability of evacuee property, there was a greater focus for refugee resettlement in Punjab than Karachi (the same can be said when comparing refugee rehabilitation between East Punjab and West Bengal in India). Seven years after the partitioners axe had been wielded, about a third of Karachi’s Mohajirs were still awaiting rehabilitation. This contributed to the growth of squatter communities with ‘improvised dwellings’ in Karachi – again this could be compared to Calcutta. Whereas in Punjab, the state had assisted with migration of minority communities across the border, by May 1950, the state had withdrawn refugee assistance at the Khokrapur border in an effort to foreclose further movement (again there are similarities with what happened in West Bengal, where the state sought to discourage further migration).

Karachi has maintained its status as the economic engine of Pakistan and has such continued to act a magnet for migrants, but not so much across the borders as within Pakistan. There have been waves of migration from Punjabis, Pathans, Balochis, Sindhis from the interior. It is worth recalling that Karachi is the third largest Pakhtun city in the world and there are more Balochis in Karachi than Quetta.

What happened to evacuee property and businesses in Sindh as all the cities were majority Hindu? In Punjab, most of them were given to muhajjirs from the east.

 

[KB]

What happened to evacuee property and businesses in Sindh as all the cities were majority Hindu? In Punjab, most of them were given to muhajjirs from the east.

I should first clarify that, evacuee property was provided to refugees in Sindh, but what I meant was, firstly, that there was more evacuee property in much of Punjab than in Karachi; that in the latter demand outstripped supply. According to historian Suranjan Das, “while 18 lakhs of Hindu Sindhis left for India…30 lakh Urdu-speaking Indian Muslims migrated to Sindh.” Secondly, it is also important to note that it took longer for non-Punjabi refugees to be allotted land on a permanent basis. There was no exchange of revenue records of refugees that came from what were termed ‘non-agreed areas’ – being outside the disturbed areas of Punjab and Delihi. This made it more difficult to verify the claims of non-Punjabi refugees. Initially, refugees from the ‘agreed areas’ of the Punjab were given land on a ‘provisional permanent basis’, whilst the refugees from ‘non-agreed areas’ were allocated land on a ‘temporary basis’ only.

Three more general points. Whilst Hindus were predominant in the cities in Sindh, they also abandoned about 1,345,000 acres of cultivable land in the aftermath of partition. Some were absentee landlords. Whilst the impoverished Muslim sharecroppers (haris) hoped that the land would devolve to them, it seemed in fact that it was often the large Sindhi landlords that benefited. One estimate suggested that of 1,345,000 acres abandoned, 800,000 acres were seized by Sindhi landlords. Therefore, it would appear that whilst many refugees did get their hands, eventually, on urban property (and refugees did principally settle in urban locations in Sindh) it was ‘indigenous’ Sindhi Muslims, often large landlords, that grabbed rural property following the exodus of Hindus.

Following on from this point, in both Punjab and Sindh, evacuee property was illegally occupied and this also created tensions between ‘indigenous’ inhabitants and incoming refugees. Thirdly, allegations of corruption with how evacuee property was allocated were rife in both provinces.

 

[marlonbrowndo]

As a Punjabi raised in Karachi I personally feel that the best post in this thread was made by [MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION]. He said something along the lines of Karachi respresenting Pakistan. Growing up as a child I used to visit Lahore up to 5 times every year. I always thought that it was the best city in Pakistan and couldn't wait to go there every time. But as a much older and wiser person I now know the 2 reasons why I thought that.

Firstly, it was because of family. All my cousins and family were in Lahore and as a child I had some of the best times of my life with them in Lahore. I have a lot of memories associated with Lahore but it had more to do with people I cared about than the city itself. The second reason was the brainwashing. Punjabis will have you believe that Lahore is the only city worth living in. I have first hand experience of this as it was members of my own family who would always bash Karachi but praise Lahore like it was heaven.

I'm sorry to say it but you can see the same arrogance in this thread. Reading the replies of some of the people who have said Lahore you can see the bias and condescending tone in their reasoning. I don't want to veer off topic which is about the 2 cities but I'm not going to lie, up until a few years ago I used to believe that us punjabis were superior to other races which is something I am now ashamed to admit. I feel that a lot of punjabis feel this way and it is just sad.

I am really glad that both my parents moved to Karachi before I was born and I was raised there. Yes Karachi has a lot of flaws and was extremely unsafe for a while a few years back but people of Karachi are simply more open minded and accepting than people in Punjab. And even my parents who both love their Punjabi roots and place of birth are not afraid to admit this. I remember going a couple of times in Lahore when I would go shopping or anywhere in public I saw that men who would just stare women down like pieces of meat. Unfortunately I was a bit younger but if this were to ever happen again I wouldn't let it slide. On the other hand I always go out with friends who happen to be girls in Karachi and we often roam around in public and no one bats an eye. This is just en example but I've come to realize through various experiences that Karachi people are simply more open minded and tolerant than those in Lahore.

Also lahoris claim that they have the better tasting food but anyone who has been to enough places in both cities will know that Karachi blows Lahore away when it comes to food. Karachi has everything Lahore has and much more. Even my family members who are food lovers don't hesitate to admit this when they come from Lahore. Karachi is just a more fun city thab Lahore overall (unless your idea of fun is going to a bazaar at chand raat in scorching heat to be surrounded by perverts who are just there to look at girls or just plain rude people) when you look at it from an objective viewpoint. And I'm not being biased here since most of my amazing childhood memories are associated with Lahore and I've spent a lot of time there even recently so I feel I can offer a neutral view.

I know this post will rile up the Punjabi lobby but I'm not saying that Karachi doesn't have its flaws. It has a lot. My love for Karachi isn't blind but being a person who preferred Lahore in his younger days, the wiser me can say that Karachi is the place to be and I am glad I was raised here and got to meet some amazing, progressive and open minded people in my life. Also, Karachi has improved a lot from a years ago when it was at a really low point and anyone living there will agree. And [MENTION=138254]Syed1[/MENTION] is absolutely right. Lahore may have better infrastructure but if the government pumps that much money and time into developing a single city, it would be a real shame if it didn't develop the way Lahore has. Karachi is still the financial hub. As [MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] said earlier in this thread, Karachi represents Pakistan and even though it lies at the bottom of the country, it is the heart of it.

 

[marlonbrowndo]

And I have first hand experience of the racism that lahoris show towards others especially Pathans. [MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] was absolutely right.. They genuinely believe they are better than other Pakistanis.

 

[marlonbrowndo]

Some of the historical places in Lahore are amazing but you'd only go to them a few times before you get bored. Besides the type of crowd in those places will put you off and you wouldn't wanna come again.

 

[ahmedwaqas92]

As a Punjabi raised in Karachi I personally feel that the best post in this thread was made by [MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION]. He said something along the lines of Karachi respresenting Pakistan. Growing up as a child I used to visit Lahore up to 5 times every year. I always thought that it was the best city in Pakistan and couldn't wait to go there every time. But as a much older and wiser person I now know the 2 reasons why I thought that.

Firstly, it was because of family. All my cousins and family were in Lahore and as a child I had some of the best times of my life with them in Lahore. I have a lot of memories associated with Lahore but it had more to do with people I cared about than the city itself. The second reason was the brainwashing. Punjabis will have you believe that Lahore is the only city worth living in. I have first hand experience of this as it was members of my own family who would always bash Karachi but praise Lahore like it was heaven.

I'm sorry to say it but you can see the same arrogance in this thread. Reading the replies of some of the people who have said Lahore you can see the bias and condescending tone in their reasoning. I don't want to veer off topic which is about the 2 cities but I'm not going to lie, up until a few years ago I used to believe that us punjabis were superior to other races which is something I am now ashamed to admit. I feel that a lot of punjabis feel this way and it is just sad.

I am really glad that both my parents moved to Karachi before I was born and I was raised there. Yes Karachi has a lot of flaws and was extremely unsafe for a while a few years back but people of Karachi are simply more open minded and accepting than people in Punjab. And even my parents who both love their Punjabi roots and place of birth are not afraid to admit this. I remember going a couple of times in Lahore when I would go shopping or anywhere in public I saw that men who would just stare women down like pieces of meat. Unfortunately I was a bit younger but if this were to ever happen again I wouldn't let it slide. On the other hand I always go out with friends who happen to be girls in Karachi and we often roam around in public and no one bats an eye. This is just en example but I've come to realize through various experiences that Karachi people are simply more open minded and tolerant than those in Lahore.

Also lahoris claim that they have the better tasting food but anyone who has been to enough places in both cities will know that Karachi blows Lahore away when it comes to food. Karachi has everything Lahore has and much more. Even my family members who are food lovers don't hesitate to admit this when they come from Lahore. Karachi is just a more fun city thab Lahore overall (unless your idea of fun is going to a bazaar at chand raat in scorching heat to be surrounded by perverts who are just there to look at girls or just plain rude people) when you look at it from an objective viewpoint. And I'm not being biased here since most of my amazing childhood memories are associated with Lahore and I've spent a lot of time there even recently so I feel I can offer a neutral view.

I know this post will rile up the Punjabi lobby but I'm not saying that Karachi doesn't have its flaws. It has a lot. My love for Karachi isn't blind but being a person who preferred Lahore in his younger days, the wiser me can say that Karachi is the place to be and I am glad I was raised here and got to meet some amazing, progressive and open minded people in my life. Also, Karachi has improved a lot from a years ago when it was at a really low point and anyone living there will agree. And [MENTION=138254]Syed1[/MENTION] is absolutely right. Lahore may have better infrastructure but if the government pumps that much money and time into developing a single city, it would be a real shame if it didn't develop the way Lahore has. Karachi is still the financial hub. As [MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] said earlier in this thread, Karachi represents Pakistan and even though it lies at the bottom of the country, it is the heart of it.

POTW !! pure unfiltered truth by someone who's seen both sides of the coin. [MENTION=93712]MenInG[/MENTION]

 

[marlonbrowndo]

A post I saw on reddit


"An embarrassment? Karachi DRIVES Pakistan. Karachi is sort of the backstage to the very muddled grandshow that Pakistan is. Underappreciated, undervalued and grossly neglected. Only in Karachi you'll find people of all races and from all walks of life because that's what Karachi is all about. Acceptance and assimilation. The people of Hazara driven from their homeland come to Karachi, the siraikis come to Karachi to escape their overlords. Karachi even houses the highest population of Afghan refugees. Karachi is the light. The final frontier.

The overflowing sewers, the potholed roads are just evidence that Karachi has been let down by the rest of the country. You see the Sharif brothers dropping billions on Lahore to make it a place "worth living" (like you said) but they can't make a central transport system in Karachi.

I hope you understand that Karachi is the city which truly exemplifies what being a Pakistani is all about. You clearly think in terms of pure aesthetic value while Karachi encompasses much more than that."

 

[marlonbrowndo]

POTW !! pure unfiltered truth by someone who's seen both sides of the coin. [MENTION=93712]MenInG[/MENTION]

A lahore bashing and pro Karachi post cannot win POTW. And I'm not in any way saying that it's because the mods are biased. [MENTION=93712]MenInG[/MENTION] himself is from Karachi I believe. It's because of the backlash that such a post would receive from the a certain lobby. It isn't really logical or in the forums interest to acknowledge such a post. But it is the truth. And I'm not talking about my specific post but am speaking in general. It's sad but that's how it is.

 

[ahmedwaqas92]

A lahore bashing and pro Karachi post cannot win POTW. And I'm not in any way saying that it's because the mods are biased. [MENTION=93712]MenInG[/MENTION] himself is from Karachi I believe. It's because of the backlash that such a post would receive from the a certain lobby. It isn't really logical or in the forums interest to acknowledge such a post. But it is the truth. And I'm not talking about my specific post but am speaking in general. It's sad but that's how it is.

This is what I don't understand, when we write the truth it is deemed as Lahore Bashing, when we complain of marginalization (it gets termed) as crying foul, yet at the same time people from a certain section can slur expletives and mock us of bad infrastructure and how we're uncultured and that somehow doesn't necessarily seem a nusaince at all.

I love Pakistan as a whole ~ Yes a shocker right, how can a proper Karachite love Lahore / Pindi /Islamabad etc etc but the truth is that progression of cities in Pakistan would mean genuine prosperity in the country however to believe Pakistan can drive forward without the need to upgrade and better Karachi is something so outrageous it's almost as if the Federeal and Provincial government are mocking the intelligence of the region and what it epitomizes on a national level.

I do think that post was POTW material and it has nothing to do with Lahore Bashing.

 

[Rafa]

One of the other reason which gives Karachi a massive edge over Lahore is it's cosmopolitan Nature. Karachi is what you can call as the melting pot of various cultures in Pakistan, plus home to all diverse groups like Hindus, Goans, Christians, Parsi's, Bohris , Baha'i and a few Sikhs too. No single group has a cultural monopoly over the city which makes living in it a unique experience, unlike let's say Lahore which is very Punjabisque and probably the least diverse major city in Pakistan. Even in terms of communal harmony, Karachi is by far the best city in Pakistan where any violence be it against the Christians ( Blasphemy related which are rampant in Punjab) or Shias/ Ahmadis are totally unheard of. The inter-mingling of various diverse thoughts in Karachi has given rise to a very liberal , progressive and non-judgmental school of thinking which provides personal freedom to every individual, something which is impossible to imagine in any other city.

Visit Lahore if you want to experience the essence of Punjab, but visit Karachi if you want to experience the essence of Pakistan.

Karachi has a lot of unfulfilled potential, it's proximity to Sea alone gives it a different vibe over landlocked Lahore. Usually, the Coastal Cities are the best and most developed cities of various countries.

Karachi would be the only Port City in the World that inspite of being a Financial Hub has been left to rot in dumps when it should have been the most developed part of the country.

 

[ethan hunt]

Everyone has the right to an opinion and i can totally understand personal preferences but i am sorry nobody can objectively claim that karachi at present is a better city to live in than Lahore .

I know so many businessmen from Karachi who have had to move to Lahore in the last few years and have grown to love the city and it's culture.

Karachi has a special place in my heart for several reasons and i have always believed that it has the most potential out of all the cities in the country but in its present state it will always come up short in comparison to Lahore and most karachiites i know accept that fact .

Yes karachi has been unfairly treated and its imperative that it gets its rightful share of the pie . The city has been neglected for far too long . The infracture and the security situation of one of the most beautiful cities in the country needs and must get urgent attention but if the locals are going to shift all the blame elsewhere than they are just being dishonest with themselves . The people have made some poor choices over the years and not every problem karachi faces is a result of every major force conspiring against them .

Socialites of karachi throw the best parties and the women of Karachi are much friendlier and chilled out . The people are generally more liberal in their outlook and much more aware but for every thing else there is Lahore.
From food to fashion to recreation .Even the charm of the walled city is absolutely unmatched . The history of the city and it's educational institutes to the modern infrastructure . Lahore is the complete package.

For every lahori that makes fun of a karachiite's appearance there is a karachiite who will make fun of a punjabi's accent .
For anyone with a misplaced superiority complex there will always be someone with a deep rooted inferiority complex .

Let us learn to love each other regardless . I personally love the distinct flavours the two cities bring . The two best and most lively cities in the country by a distance.

 

[Leo23]

lol at karachi having better food than lahore

now i have heard it all

 

[Leo23]

As a Punjabi raised in Karachi I personally feel that the best post in this thread was made by [MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION]. He said something along the lines of Karachi respresenting Pakistan. Growing up as a child I used to visit Lahore up to 5 times every year. I always thought that it was the best city in Pakistan and couldn't wait to go there every time. But as a much older and wiser person I now know the 2 reasons why I thought that.

Firstly, it was because of family. All my cousins and family were in Lahore and as a child I had some of the best times of my life with them in Lahore. I have a lot of memories associated with Lahore but it had more to do with people I cared about than the city itself. The second reason was the brainwashing. Punjabis will have you believe that Lahore is the only city worth living in. I have first hand experience of this as it was members of my own family who would always bash Karachi but praise Lahore like it was heaven.

I'm sorry to say it but you can see the same arrogance in this thread. Reading the replies of some of the people who have said Lahore you can see the bias and condescending tone in their reasoning. I don't want to veer off topic which is about the 2 cities but I'm not going to lie, up until a few years ago I used to believe that us punjabis were superior to other races which is something I am now ashamed to admit. I feel that a lot of punjabis feel this way and it is just sad.

I am really glad that both my parents moved to Karachi before I was born and I was raised there. Yes Karachi has a lot of flaws and was extremely unsafe for a while a few years back but people of Karachi are simply more open minded and accepting than people in Punjab. And even my parents who both love their Punjabi roots and place of birth are not afraid to admit this. I remember going a couple of times in Lahore when I would go shopping or anywhere in public I saw that men who would just stare women down like pieces of meat. Unfortunately I was a bit younger but if this were to ever happen again I wouldn't let it slide. On the other hand I always go out with friends who happen to be girls in Karachi and we often roam around in public and no one bats an eye. This is just en example but I've come to realize through various experiences that Karachi people are simply more open minded and tolerant than those in Lahore.

Also lahoris claim that they have the better tasting food but anyone who has been to enough places in both cities will know that Karachi blows Lahore away when it comes to food. Karachi has everything Lahore has and much more. Even my family members who are food lovers don't hesitate to admit this when they come from Lahore. Karachi is just a more fun city thab Lahore overall (unless your idea of fun is going to a bazaar at chand raat in scorching heat to be surrounded by perverts who are just there to look at girls or just plain rude people) when you look at it from an objective viewpoint. And I'm not being biased here since most of my amazing childhood memories are associated with Lahore and I've spent a lot of time there even recently so I feel I can offer a neutral view.

I know this post will rile up the Punjabi lobby but I'm not saying that Karachi doesn't have its flaws. It has a lot. My love for Karachi isn't blind but being a person who preferred Lahore in his younger days, the wiser me can say that Karachi is the place to be and I am glad I was raised here and got to meet some amazing, progressive and open minded people in my life. Also, Karachi has improved a lot from a years ago when it was at a really low point and anyone living there will agree. And [MENTION=138254]Syed1[/MENTION] is absolutely right. Lahore may have better infrastructure but if the government pumps that much money and time into developing a single city, it would be a real shame if it didn't develop the way Lahore has. Karachi is still the financial hub. As [MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] said earlier in this thread, Karachi represents Pakistan and even though it lies at the bottom of the country, it is the heart of it.

)

kitna ro gay bhai

a joke of a post full of myths. lahore wipes the floor with karachi in every aspect. undoubtedly the best city in pakistan by a country mile.

instead of crying here blame ppp and mqm who have not done anything for the development of karachi unlike pmln who are no doubt corrupt but have pumped a lot of money into lahore unlike the sindh ruling parties

 

[SarfiBabarHaris]

Have been to both cities many times since childhood (due to having cousins) with maximum stay around 2 months and tbh I am not a big fan of both cities. Too crowded, lack of natural places to visit, lack of rules and law & order, people are too tensed, and people arent that welcoming if you are not from North Punjab (for Lahore) and not Urdu speaking (for Karachi). Majority lives in a bubble and think only they are the best and only they have big problems. Also I have seen a certain kind of racism towards Pathans in both these cities. Sorry but thats just my observation.

Also I am strongly against both Karachites and Lahoris voting for MQM and PMLN on ethnic bases since I have open my eyes.

Kher Different people have different likings and preferences. May be living in Islamabad where there is more peace and natural beauty, things are more organized and people from all backgrounds live happily together (I didn't even know till my early 20s about the ethnicity of my friends and no one asked me too) led me to have different priorities.

That said both are cities of my country and I have found few of the best people in my life from these cities. There is no match to late night hangouts in Karachi or the food street of Lahore.

 

[Eagle_Eye]

How can Karachi be better if you have to get water from a tanker everyday....

 

[Syed1]

As a Punjabi raised in Karachi I personally feel that the best post in this thread was made by [MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION]. He said something along the lines of Karachi respresenting Pakistan. Growing up as a child I used to visit Lahore up to 5 times every year. I always thought that it was the best city in Pakistan and couldn't wait to go there every time. But as a much older and wiser person I now know the 2 reasons why I thought that.

Firstly, it was because of family. All my cousins and family were in Lahore and as a child I had some of the best times of my life with them in Lahore. I have a lot of memories associated with Lahore but it had more to do with people I cared about than the city itself. The second reason was the brainwashing. Punjabis will have you believe that Lahore is the only city worth living in. I have first hand experience of this as it was members of my own family who would always bash Karachi but praise Lahore like it was heaven.

I'm sorry to say it but you can see the same arrogance in this thread. Reading the replies of some of the people who have said Lahore you can see the bias and condescending tone in their reasoning. I don't want to veer off topic which is about the 2 cities but I'm not going to lie, up until a few years ago I used to believe that us punjabis were superior to other races which is something I am now ashamed to admit. I feel that a lot of punjabis feel this way and it is just sad.

I am really glad that both my parents moved to Karachi before I was born and I was raised there. Yes Karachi has a lot of flaws and was extremely unsafe for a while a few years back but people of Karachi are simply more open minded and accepting than people in Punjab. And even my parents who both love their Punjabi roots and place of birth are not afraid to admit this. I remember going a couple of times in Lahore when I would go shopping or anywhere in public I saw that men who would just stare women down like pieces of meat. Unfortunately I was a bit younger but if this were to ever happen again I wouldn't let it slide. On the other hand I always go out with friends who happen to be girls in Karachi and we often roam around in public and no one bats an eye. This is just en example but I've come to realize through various experiences that Karachi people are simply more open minded and tolerant than those in Lahore.

Also lahoris claim that they have the better tasting food but anyone who has been to enough places in both cities will know that Karachi blows Lahore away when it comes to food. Karachi has everything Lahore has and much more. Even my family members who are food lovers don't hesitate to admit this when they come from Lahore. Karachi is just a more fun city thab Lahore overall (unless your idea of fun is going to a bazaar at chand raat in scorching heat to be surrounded by perverts who are just there to look at girls or just plain rude people) when you look at it from an objective viewpoint. And I'm not being biased here since most of my amazing childhood memories are associated with Lahore and I've spent a lot of time there even recently so I feel I can offer a neutral view.

I know this post will rile up the Punjabi lobby but I'm not saying that Karachi doesn't have its flaws. It has a lot. My love for Karachi isn't blind but being a person who preferred Lahore in his younger days, the wiser me can say that Karachi is the place to be and I am glad I was raised here and got to meet some amazing, progressive and open minded people in my life. Also, Karachi has improved a lot from a years ago when it was at a really low point and anyone living there will agree. And [MENTION=138254]Syed1[/MENTION] is absolutely right. Lahore may have better infrastructure but if the government pumps that much money and time into developing a single city, it would be a real shame if it didn't develop the way Lahore has. Karachi is still the financial hub. As [MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] said earlier in this thread, Karachi represents Pakistan and even though it lies at the bottom of the country, it is the heart of it.

Beautiful post

 

[Slog]

The fact that still more people from Lahore move to Karachi than vice Versa tells every thing

It's undeniable that Karachi is much more accepting of everyone and is truly the heart of Pakistan. Everyone is welcome and more importantly everyone feels welcomed

Brilliant POTW worthy stuff by [MENTION=139150]aliasad1998[/MENTION] btw

 

[Leo23]

The fact that still more people from Lahore move to Karachi than vice Versa tells every thing

It's undeniable that Karachi is much more accepting of everyone and is truly the heart of Pakistan. Everyone is welcome and more importantly everyone feels welcomed

Brilliant POTW worthy stuff by [MENTION=139150]aliasad1998[/MENTION] btw

well duh

karachi is like 3x bigger than lahore so obviously it has more opportunities for people and people from all over the country move there esp from backwards cities like peshawar and quetta from where pashtuns go to karachi in great numbers every year

the fact that karachities are talking about intangible stuff like "heart of pakistan" and "more accepting of everyone" and "represents the true spirit of pakistan" etc etc sums up how desperate they are to put lahore down

i am also surprised at how poor mamoon's post was on this matter (the one aliasad quoted) because generally i find him a very intelligent and thoughtful person

 

[Eagle_Eye]

The fact that still more people from Lahore move to Karachi than vice Versa tells every thing

It's undeniable that Karachi is much more accepting of everyone and is truly the heart of Pakistan. Everyone is welcome and more importantly everyone feels welcomed

Brilliant POTW worthy stuff by [MENTION=139150]aliasad1998[/MENTION] btw

Take London and Edinburgh (Scotland) for example.

I am a Londoner, if someone asked me which is a better city to live in, without a doubt I would say Edinburgh. It's much quieter, prettier, cleaner, great restaurants, people are nicer....

Size and how much a city contributes economically is not an indication of the quality of life it provides... yes it may give you more money.

Karachi is over populated and system hasn't kept up with its increase. Thus, more people are trying to make do with same resources... it's a victim of its own success.

I pointed water shortage as an example in Karachi. Crime and violence was another major issue till the rangers operation recently.

 

[Slog]

well duh

karachi is like 3x bigger than lahore so obviously it has more opportunities for people and people from all over the country move there esp from backwards cities like peshawar and quetta from where pashtuns go to karachi in great numbers every year

the fact that karachities are talking about intangible stuff like "heart of pakistan" and "more accepting of everyone" and "represents the true spirit of pakistan" etc etc sums up how desperate they are to put lahore down

i am also surprised at how poor mamoon's post was on this matter (the one aliasad quoted) because generally i find him a very intelligent and thoughtful person

This is very interesting stuff

Karachi is 3x bigger but the census shows that they are almost at par and till a few days ago this joke of a census was gospel for Lahores

So you're going to pick and choose the stat according to what argument suits you

Also. Lahoris move to Karachi as well so there it is.

Finally. So this Mamoon is thoughtful when his views agree with you but otherwise he isn't

 

[Leo23]

This is very interesting stuff

Karachi is 3x bigger but the census shows that they are almost at par and till a few days ago this joke of a census was gospel for Lahores

So you're going to pick and choose the stat according to what argument suits you

Also. Lahoris move to Karachi as well so there it is.

Finally. So this Mamoon is thoughtful when his views agree with you but otherwise he isn't

i dont mean the population but the size

plus we don't know if all the millions of immigrants where actually part of the census

i didn't say that he isn't thoughtful just that his views on karachi vs lahore are surprisingly absurd

 

[Slog]

well duh

karachi is like 3x bigger than lahore so obviously it has more opportunities for people and people from all over the country move there esp from backwards cities like peshawar and quetta from where pashtuns go to karachi in great numbers every year

the fact that karachities are talking about intangible stuff like "heart of pakistan" and "more accepting of everyone" and "represents the true spirit of pakistan" etc etc sums up how desperate they are to put lahore down

i am also surprised at how poor mamoon's post was on this matter (the one aliasad quoted) because generally i find him a very intelligent and thoughtful person

The fact that I'm bringing up intangible stuff like heart of Pakistan and being more accepting is because as far as tangible stuff is concerned (GDP, tax collection, industry, employment statistics) Karachi gives Lahore a literal spanking statistically

I was doing Lahore a favor there

We can talk about hard economic data if you desire but then you'll cry it's a bigger city. It's a bigger city because it is the financial powerhouse of Pakistan lol.

 

[Leo23]

The fact that I'm bringing up intangible stuff like heart of Pakistan and being more accepting is because as far as tangible stuff is concerned (GDP, tax collection, industry, employment statistics) Karachi gives Lahore a literal spanking statistically

I was doing Lahore a favor there

We can talk about hard economic data if you desire but then you'll cry it's a bigger city. It's a bigger city because it is the financial powerhouse of Pakistan lol.

all of that is because of its huge size

now that is not a quality but something it inherited. when you compare the resources of karachi it has achieved nothing

on the other hand lahore has managed to overtake karachi in spite of having less than half of the resources

in terms of infrastructure and development karachi is still living in the 90s

if you go from karachi to lahore you would think you are in a new country

 

[sshakir411]

As a Punjabi raised in Karachi I personally feel that the best post in this thread was made by [MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION]. He said something along the lines of Karachi respresenting Pakistan. Growing up as a child I used to visit Lahore up to 5 times every year. I always thought that it was the best city in Pakistan and couldn't wait to go there every time. But as a much older and wiser person I now know the 2 reasons why I thought that.

Firstly, it was because of family. All my cousins and family were in Lahore and as a child I had some of the best times of my life with them in Lahore. I have a lot of memories associated with Lahore but it had more to do with people I cared about than the city itself. The second reason was the brainwashing. Punjabis will have you believe that Lahore is the only city worth living in. I have first hand experience of this as it was members of my own family who would always bash Karachi but praise Lahore like it was heaven.

I'm sorry to say it but you can see the same arrogance in this thread. Reading the replies of some of the people who have said Lahore you can see the bias and condescending tone in their reasoning. I don't want to veer off topic which is about the 2 cities but I'm not going to lie, up until a few years ago I used to believe that us punjabis were superior to other races which is something I am now ashamed to admit. I feel that a lot of punjabis feel this way and it is just sad.

I am really glad that both my parents moved to Karachi before I was born and I was raised there. Yes Karachi has a lot of flaws and was extremely unsafe for a while a few years back but people of Karachi are simply more open minded and accepting than people in Punjab. And even my parents who both love their Punjabi roots and place of birth are not afraid to admit this. I remember going a couple of times in Lahore when I would go shopping or anywhere in public I saw that men who would just stare women down like pieces of meat. Unfortunately I was a bit younger but if this were to ever happen again I wouldn't let it slide. On the other hand I always go out with friends who happen to be girls in Karachi and we often roam around in public and no one bats an eye. This is just en example but I've come to realize through various experiences that Karachi people are simply more open minded and tolerant than those in Lahore.

Also lahoris claim that they have the better tasting food but anyone who has been to enough places in both cities will know that Karachi blows Lahore away when it comes to food. Karachi has everything Lahore has and much more. Even my family members who are food lovers don't hesitate to admit this when they come from Lahore. Karachi is just a more fun city thab Lahore overall (unless your idea of fun is going to a bazaar at chand raat in scorching heat to be surrounded by perverts who are just there to look at girls or just plain rude people) when you look at it from an objective viewpoint. And I'm not being biased here since most of my amazing childhood memories are associated with Lahore and I've spent a lot of time there even recently so I feel I can offer a neutral view.

I know this post will rile up the Punjabi lobby but I'm not saying that Karachi doesn't have its flaws. It has a lot. My love for Karachi isn't blind but being a person who preferred Lahore in his younger days, the wiser me can say that Karachi is the place to be and I am glad I was raised here and got to meet some amazing, progressive and open minded people in my life. Also, Karachi has improved a lot from a years ago when it was at a really low point and anyone living there will agree. And [MENTION=138254]Syed1[/MENTION] is absolutely right. Lahore may have better infrastructure but if the government pumps that much money and time into developing a single city, it would be a real shame if it didn't develop the way Lahore has. Karachi is still the financial hub. As [MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] said earlier in this thread, Karachi represents Pakistan and even though it lies at the bottom of the country, it is the heart of it.

Nailed it. These are happening in the thread right now.

 

[Eagle_Eye]

all of that is because of its huge size

now that is not a quality but something it inherited. when you compare the resources of karachi it has achieved nothing

on the other hand lahore has managed to overtake karachi in spite of having less than half of the resources

in terms of infrastructure and development karachi is still living in the 90s

if you go from karachi to lahore you would think you are in a new country

Haven't been to Lahore or Karachi for a very long time....

Is getting water from a tanker as prevalent in Lahore as it is in Karachi?

 

[Leo23]

Haven't been to Lahore or Karachi for a very long time....

Is getting water from a tanker as prevalent in Lahore as it is in Karachi?

nope

 

[Syed1]

all of that is because of its huge size

now that is not a quality but something it inherited. when you compare the resources of karachi it has achieved nothing

on the other hand lahore has managed to overtake karachi in spite of having less than half of the resources

in terms of infrastructure and development karachi is still living in the 90s

if you go from karachi to lahore you would think you are in a new country

Something it inherited )


Karachi was a fishing town. It is has been built up by the sweat and mehnat of her residents.


Lahore overall has better infrastructure because billions have been pumped into it since the Sharifs got hold of the national exchequer but the elite class areas in Karachi there is no comparison anywhere in Pakistan let alone Lahore.

 

[Syed1]

Freaking Karachi has the 8 tallest buildings in Pakistan and here we have people saying Lahore has better infrastructure.

Karachi is a multi-national, multi-lingual, global level metropolis while Lahore is just a regional town center.

 

[Leo23]

Something it inherited )


Karachi was a fishing town. It is has been built up by the sweat and mehnat of her residents.


Lahore overall has better infrastructure because billions have been pumped into it since the Sharifs got hold of the national exchequer but the elite class areas in Karachi there is no comparison anywhere in Pakistan let alone Lahore.

we talking modern history not what karachi was 500 yrs ago

karachi was not a fishing town 50 years back. so what happened in the last 50 years?

lahore is miles ahead now because the local govt cares about it and then you guys complain why people in lahore vote for the sharifs

it is lahore's problem that the local govts in karachi are champions of incompetency

 

[Eagle_Eye]

is it easier and convenient to get about in Lahore or Karachi?

Which city is more cleaner with more green spaces?

 

[Leo23]

is it easier and convenient to get about in Lahore or Karachi?

Which city is more cleaner with more green spaces?

lahore has the best public transport in the country and is fast catching up with islamabad when it comes to cleanliness

it is also very green but no match to islamabad on this front. however it is far greener than karachi

but hey karachi is the heart and soul and bla bla of the country

 

[Syed1]

 

[UN talkz]

Guys stop insulting other posters and posting rubbish content... Stay on the topic and discuss in a civilised manner

 

[Leo23]

Freaking Karachi has the 8 tallest buildings in Pakistan and here we have people saying Lahore has better infrastructure.

Karachi is a multi-national, multi-lingual, global level metropolis while Lahore is just a regional town center.

compare the roads and bridges of overall maintenance of lahore as well as the public transport and it is years behind

what is the point of having tall buildings when people don't have water to drink?

 

[Leo23]

View attachment 76359

mumbai has more "tall buildings" than major european cities like london,rome,amsterdam etc

it means its better yeah

 

[Eagle_Eye]

lahore has the best public transport in the country and is fast catching up with islamabad when it comes to cleanliness

it is also very green but no match to islamabad on this front. however it is far greener than karachi

but hey karachi is the heart and soul and bla bla of the country

What about crime.... Karachi was once one of the most dangerous cities in the world... how does that compare to Lahore now?

 

[Abdul]

Lahore.

 

[Syed1]

Lahore just can't compete with Karachi. Lahoris are left to taking pride in the supposed "greenery" of their city

 

[Leo23]

who cares if:

you don't have water

you don't have good metro system

you don't have security

you don't have cleanliness

as long as you have tall buildings

 

[Syed1]

mumbai has more "tall buildings" than major european cities like london,rome,amsterdam etc

it means its better yeah

That's the sign of a growing economy and greater GDP. Mumbai does rank amongst some of the highest GDPs in the world. Karachi is also similar. Meanwhile Lahore should compete with cities like Kabul or Mogadishu

 

[Leo23]

What about crime.... Karachi was once one of the most dangerous cities in the world... how does that compare to Lahore now?

lahore and islamabad are the safest cities in the country and it is particularly impressive in lahore's case because it is much bigger than islamabad and diplomats etc don't reside there

karachi is still one of the most dangerous cities in the world and the street crime there cannot be matched by other cities

in terms of every day crime (not terrorism etc) karachi is even more unsafe than peshawar

 

[Syed1]

Karachi security is better than Lahore now. When was the last time we had an explosion? freaking 4-5 years ago while it is a frequent occurrence in Lahore. Also the street crimes have drastically decreased.