Separated in 1947, Muslim sisters meet Sikh brother after 7 decades

Tears came down rolling their faces when two Muslim sisters had an emotional reunion with their Sikh brother for the first time in seven decades at Gurdwara Janam Asthan, Nankana Sahib in Pakistan on Sunday. Ulfat Bibi and Mairaj Bibi had separated with their brother Beant Singh in the violence that broke out during the partition in 1947. Natives of Paracha village near Dera Baba Nanak, the family separated from its son and daughter while migrating to Pakistan during the partition.

However, their mother, Allah Rakhhi, found about her son when she contacted one of her neighbours in Punjab. Since then, the family has been in touch with each other earlier through letters and then phone calls. But this was the first time they had seen each other in the last 70 years.

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Beant Singh had gone to Pakistan as part of a Sikh jattha (group) from India. During the visit, he contacted her sisters and met them at Gurdwara Janam Asthan, Nankana Sahib. Ulfat Bibi has now requested Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan to extend the visa of his brother. Speaking to a Pakistani English daily, she had also said that she should be allowed to visit India to meet the wife and children of his brother.

Recently, India and Pakistan have agreed to open the Kartarpur border corridor between the two nations to facilitate the visit of Sikh pilgrims to the historic shrine of Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib. The gurudwara is believed to be the final resting place of Guru Nanak and is visible from the Indian side. Every year, people of Sikh community gather at Dera Baba Nanak shrine for darshan from the Indian side. However, with a dedicated corridor, Sikh pilgrims would be allowed to visit the holy shrine by crossing the border and won’t need any visa.

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