Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader and former Sindh Assembly member Sharmila Farooqi recently described living in Karachi as feeling like living in Paris, and the statement has since ignited a firestorm of reactions across Pakistan’s social media landscape.
The remark came when she was asked, “What is living in Karachi like?” — to which she replied: “Living in Karachi is like living in Paris. I think your country is your identity; it’s your home, so it should be like heaven to you.”
The comment was made during a fun segment where participants were asked to complete sentences. Her answer drew applause and smiles from former cricketers and other guests present.
Farooqi’s statement was rooted in love for her hometown. Born and raised in Karachi, she has long been associated with the city’s political and social fabric. Her remarks suggest that for those who truly belong to Karachi, the city holds a charm and warmth that rivals any metropolis in the world — regardless of its infrastructure challenges.
She also acknowledged the city’s very real problems, noting that while roads are built in certain areas, Karachi’s rains are such that those roads get damaged again — a candid nod to the civic issues plaguing the city.
Once the clip hit social media, the tone shifted fast. Users quickly turned the comparison into meme material, with one viral comment joking, “They really looked at Larkana and said, yep… this is basically Paris, just without the Eiffel Tower, croissant and everything else.”
Others took a more personal angle, suggesting the statement reflected her own lifestyle rather than the city at large. “She is talking about her home,” one user wrote, hinting that the comparison might come from a more privileged perspective of Karachi.
At the same time, some voices surprisingly backed the statement — albeit with a different lens. One comment read, “I think she is right. If someone comes from villages and has never seen such buildings, for them Karachi must feel like Paris,” reframing the comparison in terms of exposure and relativity.
The debate quickly turned into a broader conversation about class, perception, and how different people experience the same city in completely different ways.
According to the 2025 Livability Index released by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), Karachi ranked as the fourth least liveable city worldwide. Out of 173 cities evaluated, Karachi placed 170th, making it the lowest-ranked Pakistani city on the list — a stark contrast to Farooqi’s rosy portrayal.
The controversy gained further fuel when Farooqi subsequently traveled to Turkey for a holiday, sharing images from the trip on her social media accounts, prompting critics to question whether her “Karachi is Paris” sentiment truly held up in practice.
In another lighthearted moment during the same appearance, Farooqi revealed her passion for TV dramas, saying she might leave politics but would never stop watching dramas, as she enjoys them immensely.
On her relationship with her husband, she quipped: “I think my husband is extra smart and I am super smart, but mostly my husband’s is the way to go.”
Whether Karachi is Paris or not may depend entirely on which Karachi you call home.
