AMRITSAR: Separated by Partition, Pakistani octogenarian Mohammad Ismail, a Muslim, and his close family friend, Surinder Kaur, a Sikh, were reunited by fate and social media at the Kartarpur Corridor in the twilight of their lives.
Pakistan’s Project Management Unit (PMU) chief executive officer (CEO) Muhammad Abu Bakar Aftab Qureshi reported their reunion from Kartarpur’s Gurdwara Darbar Sahib on Monday. Their families lived at Shahkot village in Jalandhar district before the country got divided in 1947.
Muhammad Ismail Ali, son of Mubarak Ali, said: “During Partition, I was aged about 8 or 9, yet I recall the events vividly. My family migrated to Pakistan during the bloodbath, but after 76 years, we reconnected will old friends through social media. Surinder Kaur is daughter of my Mama Chacha’s ustad (tutor), and our families had close relations.”
One of his interviews to a blogger was seen in Australia by someone who knew Surinder Kaur and he connected them over the internet two years ago, but they couldn’t visit each other due to visa issues. Ismail said: “Almost every day, I’d call her and or she’d call me. Thanks to the Almighty that we were at least able to see each other at last.” Kaur said Ismail was like her brother. Ismail appealed to the both governments for simplifying the visa system to let him at least visit his birthplace in India before death.
Pakistan’s Project Management Unit (PMU) chief executive officer (CEO) Muhammad Abu Bakar Aftab Qureshi reported their reunion from Kartarpur’s Gurdwara Darbar Sahib on Monday. Their families lived at Shahkot village in Jalandhar district before the country got divided in 1947.
Muhammad Ismail Ali, son of Mubarak Ali, said: “During Partition, I was aged about 8 or 9, yet I recall the events vividly. My family migrated to Pakistan during the bloodbath, but after 76 years, we reconnected will old friends through social media. Surinder Kaur is daughter of my Mama Chacha’s ustad (tutor), and our families had close relations.”
One of his interviews to a blogger was seen in Australia by someone who knew Surinder Kaur and he connected them over the internet two years ago, but they couldn’t visit each other due to visa issues. Ismail said: “Almost every day, I’d call her and or she’d call me. Thanks to the Almighty that we were at least able to see each other at last.” Kaur said Ismail was like her brother. Ismail appealed to the both governments for simplifying the visa system to let him at least visit his birthplace in India before death.
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