Faces of Karachi - Byram D. Avari
Byram D. Avari, former Chairman of the Avari Group of Hotels and a leading figure in Pakistan’s business and sports landscape, was one of Karachi’s most respected citizens. A member of the city’s Parsi community and a two-time Asian Games gold medalist in sailing, Avari’s connection to Karachi ran deep. In this interview, recorded shortly before his passing in 2023, he reflects on the city that shaped his life and identity.
Having lived in Karachi even before the creation of Pakistan, Avari witnessed the city evolve across generations. He was affectionately called “Baba” by friends, police, and community members alike — a nickname he’d had since childhood, and one that stayed with him throughout his life.
Avari recalled a time when the city thrived as a true cosmopolitan space. His words serve as both memory and message.
“People didn’t care whether you prayed or you didn’t pray… as long as you were honest, a good citizen, a good human being.”
He described the Karachi of his youth — a time when children went to school without fear, where casual conversation and community spirit defined everyday life. He recalled going to Karachi Grammar School and riding to school in a horse cart, and spoke of the ease with which people of different faiths and ethnicities once lived together. These weren’t distant memories; they were benchmarks for what the city could aspire to again.
Avari also emphasized the contributions of the Parsi community, especially in building educational and healthcare institutions that still serve the city today — including NED University of Engineering and Technology, Dow Medical College and Spencer Eye Hospital. He spoke with pride about the Parsi spirit, Parsi love, and identity — values passed down by his father, who taught him to give more than you take, and that true help goes beyond money. Avari believed in helping people in whatever way they needed, whether emotional, practical, or moral.
His love for Karachi wasn’t just nostalgic. Even when his children were eligible for Ivy League universities, they chose to stay and study in Karachi — a conscious decision to build their lives and careers locally. Avari saw this as a powerful form of commitment, the kind that forms real roots in a place.
He believed in Karachi’s resilience, its ability to recover quickly after crises, and he wanted every citizen — whether Punjabi, Baloch, Sindhi, Muhajir, or Pathan — to feel ownership of the city.
“I want them to own Karachi… not throw garbage on the street but to own Karachi as their own city.”
Byram D. Avari passed away on January 22, 2023. But his voice continues to echo as a reminder of what Karachi was, and what it can still become.
What does owning your city mean to you? Tell us in the comments how you think we can bring back the spirit of Karachi.
This presentation is part of "Faces of Karachi" - a collaboration with the TDF MagnifiScience Centre.
This article was developed with the assistance of AI tools.
