NAROWAL: The Kartarpur Corridor reunited Indian and Pakistani families on Thursday who had been separated by the Partition of Punjab 75 years ago. The visitors were overcome by the emotional scenes of the family reunion.

Muhammad Sharif and his family members travelled from Jhang to greet and meet their uncle Daya Sigh and his children, who had travelled from Haryana’s Kokshatra district in India.

Sharif stated that brothers Gurdev Singh and Daya Singh resided in Gomla, India, before Partition. When their father died while they were young, Karim Bakhsh, their father’s friend, raised both brothers and changed their names: Gurdev Singh became Ghulam Muhammad, and Daya Singh became Ghulam Rasool.

Ghulam Rasool (Daya Singh) had gone to his maternal home when Karim Bukhsh migrated to Pakistan along with Ghulam Muhammad and his son Muhammad Sharif. Ghulam Muhammad settled in Jhang, while Ghulam Rasool, who again became Daya Singh, settled in Kokshatra district of Haryana, India.

Sharif said his father, Ghulam Muhammad, missed his brother and wrote dozens of letters to the governments of both India and Pakistan to find the whereabouts of Daya Singh, but got no reply. A few years ago, Ghulam Muhammad passed away, while Sharif was able to find his uncle six months ago through social media.

He said that the two of them planned to meet at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur. Sharif and his family arrived at Kartarpur to meet uncle Daya Singh and cousin Ataar Singh.

Reunion moments began with sobbing and uncontrollable hugs and quickly progressed to smiles and thank-you statements.

The Pakistani family showered flowers on their Indian relatives. Visitors at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur who witnessed the emotional events of the two families were overcome with emotion and felt overwhelmed.

The Kartarpur administration marked the auspicious occasion of the family gathering by feeding both families and bystanders sweets. The family sang songs to mark the event. They later visited Gurdwara Darbar Sahib and Langar Hall.

Families that were split apart during the Partition are reunited thanks to the Kartarpur Corridor. Families from Pakistan and India urged their governments to grant them visas so they may participate in one another’s happiness.

Published in Dawn, March 3rd, 2023