Separated during partition, estranged siblings reunite in Pakistan after 75 years

Mahinder Kaur and Sheikh Abdullah Aziz met at Kartarpur Corridor in Pakistan

Amidst all the political and economic chaos in the country, there came a long-due sibling reunion that has cheered civilians up on both sides of the borders. A brother and his sister, separated during the Partition 75 years ago, reunited at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur in Pakistan, in an emotional reunion made possible through social media.

On Monday, the 81-year-old Mahinder Kaur and her family travelled from India to the Gurdwara through the Kartarpur Corridor, while her 78-year-old brother Sheikh Abdullah Aziz and his family arrived there from Kashmir, as per Hindustan Times.

The 4 km-long Kartarpur Corridor provides visa-free access to Indian Sikh pilgrims to visit the Darbar Sahib. The family of Bhajan Singh, living in Indian Punjab, was separated during the time of partition.
Following the partition, Aziz Azad moved to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, while his family and other members remained in Punjab.

The publication reported that Aziz claimed to have made several tireless efforts to reconnect with his family but all of it went in vain. Until the two families discovered that Mahinder and Aziz were indeed estranged siblings after connecting through a social media post detailing the separation of a man and his sister during the Partition.

Overwhelmed with joy, Mahinder repeatedly hugged her brother and kissed his hands, and the two families also visited Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur together, sitting side by side and sharing a meal. They also exchanged gifts as a symbol of their reunion.

Mahinder expressed her gratitude to the governments of India and Pakistan, acknowledging the role of the Kartarpur Corridor in bringing people together. She hoped that this corridor would continue to reunite families separated during the partition. As they bid farewell in the evening, both siblings promised to meet again in Pakistan through the corridor.

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