“A beautiful life is built through the people we love, the courage we gather in difficult moments, and the dreams we still choose to follow.”
Introduction
Every person carries a story that is written not only through accomplishments but also through decisions, relationships, values, and the countless moments that quietly influence who they become. The story of Dr. Shirin Sarkari is one that unfolds across cultures, professions, and generations, bringing together academic excellence, international exposure, professional distinction, entrepreneurial vision, and an enduring commitment to family.
Born in Karachi into a close-knit Parsi family with roots in Gujarat, she was raised in an environment where education, honesty, discipline, faith, and compassion were considered inseparable from everyday life. Those early years provided much more than comfort and opportunity. They nurtured curiosity, encouraged independent thinking, and instilled a belief that every opportunity should be approached with dedication and gratitude. Her parents ensured that she and her sister experienced the very best education while remaining deeply connected to their cultural and spiritual heritage.
Academic success arrived naturally through hard work and commitment. Excelling in The College of Home Economics at the University of Karachi, she graduated as First Class First and received a Gold Medal, opening the possibility of advanced studies overseas. Yet, rather than continuing immediately along the academic path, she chose something entirely different. Drawn by an eagerness to discover the world beyond classrooms, she stepped into aviation, beginning a profession that introduced her to international cultures, world leaders, distinguished travelers, and standards of hospitality that would later influence every stage of her career.
Marriage brought a new beginning in Dubai, where another unexpected opportunity redirected her professional focus. Entering the luxury beauty industry introduced her to prestigious international brands and expanded her understanding of customer experience, product excellence, and global retail. That foundation soon led to Dubai Duty Free, where nearly three decades of dedication, continuous learning, and professional growth transformed her from an Assistant Buyer into Manager Purchasing. During those years she handled some of the world’s most recognized luxury brands, represented the organization internationally, mentored colleagues, and earned the respect of global business leaders through consistency, integrity, and expertise.
While building a successful professional career, Dr. Shirin never separated achievement from responsibility. Her family remained at the center of every decision. She devoted herself to providing the finest education and opportunities for her children while maintaining a home built on discipline, encouragement, and mutual respect. Their accomplishments became a source of immense satisfaction, standing alongside her own professional milestones as equally meaningful achievements.
Retirement did not signal the end of ambition. Instead, it created space for a long-held aspiration to become reality through the establishment of Kleio Paris, her own perfume brand. Drawing upon decades of industry knowledge, careful observation, and trusted professional relationships, she entered entrepreneurship with the same commitment that had defined every earlier chapter. The success that followed demonstrated that experience, when combined with passion and patience, continues to create new possibilities regardless of age.
“The values planted in childhood become the quiet companions that guide every chapter of adulthood.”
Phase 1: Where Roots Took Hold
Dr. Shirin Sarkari was born on 28 July 1954 in Karachi, Pakistan, into a close and loving Parsi family. Her parents, Hilla Pardiwalla and Khurshed Pardiwalla, welcomed her as their second daughter, with an elder sister, Parveen, three years ahead of her. The family was small, deeply bonded, and built around affection, discipline, education, faith, and respect. There were no uncles, aunts, or extended relatives living around them in Karachi, as her parents had come from India after Partition. In that absence, her parents’ friends and her own childhood friends became part of the wider family circle, filling the home with warmth and belonging.
Although she was born in Karachi, her ancestral roots reached back to Pardi, Gujarat, from where her parents originally came. The maiden surname Pardiwalla carried that connection to Pardi. Her family belonged to the Zoroastrian faith, a faith she grew up understanding with pride. From childhood, she knew that her community’s history had begun far beyond the borders of Pakistan and India, with ancient roots in Iran. Her forefathers had moved toward India when circumstances forced many Zoroastrians to either convert or leave their homeland. This knowledge gave her a clear sense of identity from an early age. She grew up knowing who she was, where her family came from, and what values had travelled through generations before reaching her home in Karachi.
Her father, Khurshed Pardiwalla, was a highly educated man. He had completed his university education at Elphinstone College, Bombay, and was known for his excellent command of English and strong mathematical ability. He began his career with Volkarts, a Swiss pharmaceutical company in Bombay. A few years after Partition, when the company opened its office in Karachi, he was transferred there as Chief Accountant. Her mother followed him, and Karachi became the place where their daughters would grow up.
The home in which Dr. Shirin was raised was comfortable and privileged, yet never careless or empty of values. Her parents gave their two daughters the best they could offer, not only through material comforts but also through education, manners, faith, and generosity. They did not spend lavishly on themselves, but they happily gave their daughters every possible opportunity. There was no bitterness attached to that comfort, no sense of entitlement forced into the children. Instead, there was gratitude. Dr. Shirin remembered that her parents gave them everything they wanted, and they did so with happiness.
Faith had an important place in the family. Daily prayers were encouraged, and visits to the Fire Temple were part of their spiritual practice. Religion was not presented as a formality but as something that belonged to the rhythm of the household. It gave structure to the day, comfort to the mind, and direction to conduct. From her earliest years, she saw faith, culture, and family duty living together in a natural way.
Her schooling began at The Mama Parsi Girls Secondary School in Karachi, a respected and well-known institution run by the Parsi community. It was a sought-after school, and being educated there became an important part of her early foundation. School gave her discipline, confidence, and exposure to learning, while home gave her encouragement. She studied subjects such as English, Geography, History, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Social Studies, Languages, Music, Sports/Tennis, plus all other subjects. Even in those early years, the direction of her interests began to appear.
“Every meaningful achievement begins with the courage to choose a path that truly belongs to you.”
Phase 2 : A Mind Drawn to Learning and Possibility
As Dr. Shirin Sarkari moved through her school years, education became more than a daily routine. It became a field where discipline, attention, and ambition found direction. For her, school provided structure, while home offered the gift of confidence. Between the two, she learned to value preparation, respect time, and take quiet pride in doing every task with care.
Her interests were never limited to textbooks. During school and college, she took part in sports and enjoyed being active. Tennis became one of the games she loved, and it added another layer to her personality. It gave her movement, alertness, and the pleasure of healthy competition. Even in those younger years, she was not someone who preferred idleness. She liked involvement, activity, and participation, traits that would remain with her for decades.
As she entered her senior school years and later college, another interest found space in her schedule. She enrolled at Alliance Française in Karachi and completed four degrees in French. What began as a pastime became a meaningful skill. The language later proved useful in her professional years, especially when her work connected her to French fashion houses, luxury brands, and international buying. At that younger age, however, it was simply another example of her willingness to learn beyond what was required.
Her academic path took her to The College of Home Economics, Karachi, one of the prestigious institutions of its kind. There, she pursued Home Economics, majoring in Food and Nutrition as her major field. The subject suited her natural interest in food, presentation, discipline, and detail. It also demanded serious effort. In her final two years, she studied for nearly twelve hours a day, as there were 12 to 13 subjects to clear every year. The routine was intense, but she committed herself fully. She was not studying for appearance or approval. She was studying because she wanted to excel.
The morning her university result was announced remained one of the most emotional memories of her younger years. She opened the newspaper as usual and saw her name listed at the top of the University of Karachi results. She had achieved First Class First and had become a Gold Medalist from the entire Sindh region of Pakistan. The shock and joy were so overwhelming that she began crying loudly. Her parents heard her sobbing and rushed from the other rooms, worried at first because she could barely speak. She simply handed them the newspaper.
When they read the result, their worry turned into happiness. It was a moment of pride for the entire household. Her parents immediately ordered mithai (Indian sweets) from the sweet shop they trusted and distributed it among the neighbors. The celebration was simple, heartfelt, and full of meaning. For them, her achievement was not only an academic result. It was the reward of her hard work, their belief in education, and the atmosphere of encouragement they had created at home.
Her performance opened a significant opportunity. The Dean of the College called her into the office and advised her to continue studying. The plan offered to her was ambitious and impressive. She was encouraged to pursue an MSc, after which the college would help send her on a scholarship to the USA to pursue a doctorate in Food and Nutrition. Her parents were delighted by the possibility. For a family that placed great importance on education, this was exactly the kind of future they would have felt proud to see.
“Sometimes the greatest education comes from embracing unfamiliar horizons with an open heart and curious mind.”
Phase 3 : Choosing the World as Her Classroom
After completing her studies with distinction, Dr. Shirin Sarkari stood at a point where many expected her to continue along the academic path. She had the marks, the discipline, and the encouragement to move further into higher education. Yet her heart was no longer asking for another classroom. After years of intense study, she wanted a break from books and examinations. More than anything, she wanted to travel.
That desire soon found a professional direction when she was selected by both British Airways and Pakistan International Airlines. The choice before her was important. British Airways was a respected name, but for Karachi-based staff at that time, the routes were limited to London, Karachi, and Casablanca. PIA, on the other hand, offered her a far wider sky. In the 1970s, Pakistan International Airlines was considered one of the best airlines in the world, and for someone whose purpose was exploring every corner of the world, it gave her exactly what she was looking for.
Her mother was not immediately happy with the decision. In those days, the profession of an air hostess was not always understood kindly by society. Her mother worried that people might speak in unpleasant ways or judge the nature of the work. Dr. Shirin responded with the values she had received at home. She explained that character did not depend on whether someone worked in an office or an aircraft. A person without values could be careless anywhere, while someone raised with strong principles would carry those principles everywhere. She reminded her mother that she had been given a good upbringing and asked for permission to work for only two years. Her mother agreed, wanting her daughter to be happy.
Her training began at the PIA Training Centre in Karachi, where she completed the Flight Service Basic Course No. 112 from 29 March 1976 to 30 April 1976. She secured 84 percent, adding another disciplined achievement to her growing professional record. The training prepared her for much more than serving passengers. It introduced her to the expectations of grooming, communication, service conduct, safety awareness, and responsibility. Aviation demanded presence of mind, polish, and calmness under pressure. She carried all of these into her work.
Once she joined PIA, time passed swiftly. What initially began as a two-year plan gradually transformed into a fulfilling nine-year journey, as she found immense satisfaction and purpose in her work. The airline respected her, paid well, and gave her opportunities that were rare. Long layovers became part of her routine. She would spend seven days in New York, seven days in Tokyo, seven days in Frankfurt, and other long stays in international cities. These breaks were far longer than what airline crews usually receive today, and for a young woman eager to explore, they felt like an extraordinary gift.
Her salary was managed with care. Her father saved her earnings for her, and she did not touch that money. She lived on the hourly allowances provided by the airline in dollars. Those allowances allowed her to enjoy the things a young woman loved: clothes, shoes, bags, and personal luxuries. It was a period of freedom, discovery, and learning. She was earning, travelling, and growing, yet still remained closely tied to home.
Very soon, her conduct and professionalism earned her a place in the VVIP crew. She was assigned to fly on Boeing 747s, serving presidents, dignitaries, and important guests in the first-class cabin. Her work took place in an environment where grace, discretion, and precision were essential. This responsibility did not come easily. She had to undergo stringent security checks. Officials visited the area where she lived, spoke to neighbors, questioned the chowkidar (security guard) who looked after the gate, and gathered information about her habits, reputation, and associations. Only after receiving a good impression was she cleared for VVIP service.
Note of Thanks
No achievement is ever accomplished alone, and Dr. Shirin Sarkari believes that every meaningful chapter of her story has been made possible through the love, encouragement, and kindness of many remarkable people.
Her deepest gratitude belongs to her late parents, Hilla Pardiwalla and Khurshed Pardiwalla, whose unwavering faith in education, strong values, generosity, and unconditional love laid the foundation for everything she became. They gave their daughters every opportunity they could, encouraged them to think independently, and taught them that character, compassion, and integrity are life’s greatest possessions. Their presence continues to guide her every day.
She is profoundly grateful to her husband, Rumi, who has always been much more than a life partner. He has been her closest friend, greatest supporter, and constant source of reassurance. During her treatment, his calmness, optimism, and unwavering presence helped her face each day with courage. Her heartfelt thanks also go to her son, Okhshan, who immediately travelled from Vancouver to Dubai when he learned of her diagnosis and returned again to be with her during surgery. His love and support gave her immense comfort.
She is equally grateful to her daughter, Nasha, whose affection, encouragement, and positive spirit remained a constant source of happiness throughout that difficult period.
A very special place in her heart belongs to Liz, who has been part of the family for many years. She stood beside Dr. Shirin every single day, caring for her with extraordinary patience, loyalty, and affection. Even during moments when the physical and emotional effects of treatment made life difficult, Liz remained understanding, compassionate, and devoted. Her care went far beyond responsibility and became an expression of genuine love.
She also wishes to thank the small circle of close friends who respected her privacy while surrounding her with prayers, encouragement, and thoughtful messages. What touched her most deeply was that friends from different faiths remembered her in their prayers every day. Their kindness reminded her that compassion has no boundaries.
Her sincere appreciation goes to Dr. Verushka Mukesh Mansukhani, whose compassion, reassurance, and careful guidance brought confidence during one of the most uncertain periods of her life. From their very first meeting, Dr. Shirin felt an immediate sense of trust and often believed that her late parents had somehow guided her to exactly the right surgeon. Over time, that professional relationship grew into a deeply personal bond, and she came to regard Dr. Verushka like a daughter.
She is equally grateful to Dr. Arun, whose expertise and encouragement guided her through her oncology treatment, and to Dr. Tariq, who became an important part of her continued care. Her appreciation also extends to the doctors, nurses, and medical staff of Prime Hospital, Prime Clinic, and Advance Oncology Center, whose professionalism, patience, warmth, and kindness transformed an overwhelming experience into one that she could face with hope rather than fear.
She also remembers with sincere gratitude Dr. Ayan, her GP, Dr. Anwar, Orthopedic Surgeon, Dr. Wasim, Cardiologist, and Dr. Smitha Balusamy, Specialist Obstetrics and Gynecology. Their genuine concern, willingness to stop and ask about her well-being whenever they met her, and the compassion they showed left a lasting impression on her. To Dr. Shirin, they were not only outstanding medical professionals but wonderful human beings.
Above all, Dr. Shirin Sarkari offers her deepest gratitude to God, Divine and the Universe whose blessings gave her hope when uncertainty seemed overwhelming. Her faith remained her greatest source of comfort throughout her treatment and recovery. Today, with a heart filled with thankfulness, she continues to pray that no one has to endure the pain and fear that cancer brings and that every person facing such a challenge finds the same love, care, strength, and support that carried her forward.
thanks,
– Dr. (H.C) Shirin Sarkari