Estranged siblings reunited after 75 years in Pakistan The Express Tribune

Amidst all the political and economic turmoil in the country, a long-standing sibling reunion took place that delighted citizens on both sides of the border. A brother and his sister, separated during Partition 75 years ago, reunited at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur in Pakistan, an emotional reunion made possible through social media.

On Monday, 81-year-old Mahendra Kaur and his family traveled to the gurdwara from India via the Kartarpur Corridor, while his 78-year-old brother Sheikh Abdullah Aziz and his family arrived from Kashmir, according to Hindustan Times.

The 4 km long Kartarpur Corridor provides visa-free access to Indian Sikh pilgrims to Darbar Sahib. Bhajan Singh’s family living in Indian Punjab was separated at the time of partition.
After partition, Aziz moved to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, while his family and others remained in Punjab.

Aziz claimed that he had made several tireless attempts to reconnect with his family, but all to no avail, the publication said. Until the two families found out that Mahendra and Aziz were indeed estranged siblings after connecting through a social media post detailing the separation of a man and his sister during Partition.

Overjoyed, Mahendra repeatedly hugged his brother and kissed his hands, and the two families went together to the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, sitting together and eating together. They also exchanged gifts to mark their reunion.

Mahendra thanked the governments of India and Pakistan, acknowledging the role of the Kartarpur Corridor in bringing people together. He expressed hope that the corridor would continue to reunite families separated during partition. Bidding farewell in the evening, the two siblings promised to meet again in Pakistan through the corridor.

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