Christian family separated during Partition reunites at Kartarpur

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Christian family separated during Partition reunites at Kartarpur​

Family members broke down in tears when they met after 75 years


Asif Mehmood
February 18, 2022

Emotional scenes were witnessed as members of both the families hugged each other and broke down in tears. PHOTO: EXPRESS

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LAHORE: The Kartarpur Corridor has recently become a landmark of familial reunions. Indian pilgrims are allowed visa-free access to this religious monument, and as a result this landmark has become a portal of reconciliation and healing.

Emotional scenes were witnessed as another family separated during Pakistan-India Partition in 1947 reunited through Kartarpur corridor on Friday. Members of both the families – belonging to Christian community – can be seen hugging each other and broke down in tears in a video obtained by The Express Tribune.

Shahid Rafiq Matoo, a resident of Mananwala area of Nankana Sahib district of Punjab, visited Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur with his family where he met other family members, who came from India.

Rafique said that his grandfather, Iqbal Masih who had passed away some time ago, had migrated to Pakistan with some members of his family in 1947 while his grandfather's brothers — Bakhshish Masih and Inayat Masih remained in India.

Inayat Masih, he said visited Pakistan some 25 years ago but at that time he could not meet his family members separated during the Partition.

According to Rafique, some of his family members live in Shahpur Dogran, a small village in Indian Punjab.

He added that six members of his family from India including his cousin Sonu Mato had come to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib via Kartarpur Corridor.

“We used to keep in touch with each other through WhatsApp but today we are meeting with our family members for the first time [since 1947]. My grandfather has passed away but he wanted to meet his family. However, we are lucky that our family reunited via Kartarpur Corridor,” said Rafique while describing his sentiments.

Sono, who hails from India, termed the Kartarpur “a corridor of peace and tranquillity between the two neighbouring countries”.
He added that the corridor has become a source of reunion for separated families unable to meet since the Partition.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1494681721379373056

He said that his grandfather Bakhshish Masih used to tell him that one of his brothers and other members of his family lived in Pakistan.

“We had a great longing to go to Pakistan and meet our family. Today we have finally met our family members in Kartarpur Sahib. Now we will come to Pakistan via Wagah with visa,” he added.

Earlier, Sikh and Muslim families reunited at the Gurdwara but this is the first reunion of the Christian family through the Kartarpur Corridor.

Kartarpur Corridor reunites another family after 75 years | The Express Tribune

The ‘corridor of peace’ has been reuniting people separated during the partition

tribune.com.pk