Karachi once portrayed a culture exhuming of literary and artistic values, academic prowess and visions transcending borders and traditions. Soon after independence, Karachi welcomed foreigners – tourists and world leaders alike. Cafe Grand located in Edward House opposite Hotel Metropole hustled with guests including bureaucrats and the city’s movers and shakers. In other areas of Karachi, normally in clubs and open facades of hotels, people gathered for a ghazal night or a concert blended with simpleton snacks. Despite simplicity enveloping Karachi, there was elegance seen in such gatherings attended by artists, diplomats, literary aficionados and the elite. The ‘elite’ however, during the 1950s to the 1980s in Karachi were not those who owned a mansion or a luxury sedan, they were the learned class, the educated strata of the population and those keeping a keen eye on literature, arts, and music. Culture, in its broadest and truest sense, stems from the manifestation of human intellectual achievement in the fields of arts that also relates to the social behavior of the society along with the ideas and customs people nourish in their mind. During the years bygone, even television channels and radio stations of Pakistan aired programs that were informative, had an artistic sense to it and portrayed the holistic culture of the country. While other parts of the country, soon after partition, were taking up the challenge of adding to their image, Karachi and Lahore were perhaps a step ahead for both already had a semi-developed culture even before 1947. This reflected greatly on how these two cities managed to accentuate their individual images and portray a collective consciousness showing their respective cultures The culture of Pakistan was, therefore, reflected in the very essence of how people lived in Karachi during the 1950s to the 1980s. This golden period of Karachi brought a boom in trade and commerce while the Karachiites regularly indulged in care-free, enlightening gatherings with friends and family. The presence of drive-in cinemas in Karachi was also evidence of how people of Karachi admired watching Pakistani and Indian movies with families. While other parts of the country, soon after partition, were taking up the challenge of adding to their image, Karachi and Lahore were perhaps a step ahead for both already had a semi-developed culture even before 1947. This reflected greatly on how these two cities managed to accentuate their individual images and portray a collective consciousness showing their respective cultures. One can remember how the cricket stars of Pakistan including Abdul Hafeez Kardar, Fazal Mahmood and Imtiaz Ahmad dressed up with overcoats, ties, and sweaters during the 1950s when going on tours or when not playing cricket. Interestingly, the culture seen in major cities of Pakistan was reflective of the areas’ tradition while the culture of get-togethers, parties and of literary activities in Karachi during the 1950s to 1980s was a mixture of western and eastern values and customs. It is unfortunate to see that today our culture has been buried away in between the culture that the masses have adopted from the west and from India. Invasion of thoughts from the US, Europe, and India through media outlets, especially the electronic media, has seeped its way into the naïve minds of the Pakistanis. Moreover, during the last two decades or so our won culture’s value has been reduced greatly, therefore, creating a vacuum swiftly overtaken by western ideologies. Observing old pictures of Karachi over the Internet one would see how classily were the wardrobes and attires of the people. Men would either wear trousers and shirt or shalwar kurta with a waistcoat while the women would adorn themselves with shalwar kurta with a dupatta. The culture of Pakistan and that of Karachi echoed with the culture that Pakistan was known for. However, today, this Pakistani culture is lost. There were panache and flair in how people conversed during the golden era in Karachi. This was because many of the elders had studied at the Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College that later became the Aligarh Muslim University. Even those who did not attend this University, the sophistication and appeal of the society back then with learned and well-aware people living in each neighbourhood did envelope everyone in its aura. It is important to note here that culture does not build upon a lifestyle nor on the capital one owns. Even the TV dramas aired during the black-and-white era up until the mid-1990s exhibited and narrated the culture we were proud to own. Unfortunately, the influx of foreign ideas diluted the thoughts of our society and our culture’s essence soul was faded for good. The writer is an independent researcher, author and columnist. He can be reached at omariftikhar@hotmail.com