Nankana Sahib, one of the holiest sites of Sikhism witnessed some emotional scenes on the occasion of Guru Nanak ’s 549th birth anniversary.

Siblings who got separated during the partition in 1947 met for the first time in over seven decades.

Sardar Bayanth Singh met his two siblings, Ulfat Bibi, and Mairaj Bibi on Sunday at the Nankana Sahib where he had gone for the pilgrimage.

Express Tribune

The family was originally from Paracha village near Dera Baba Nanak Gurdaspur, India before the historic partition. However, in the partition a daughter and son went missing.

The family later migrated to Pakistan leaving behind their two children.

Years later, the siblings' mother, Allah Rakhhi, contacted one of her former neighbours and learned the whereabouts of her son Bayanth.

Since then the siblings remained in touch over letters and phone calls. This year Bayanth planned a pilgrimage to the Nankana Sahib’s Gurdwara where he also got the long-awaited opportunity to meet his sisters.

REUTERS

Speaking to media after the emotional reunion, Speaking to the media, Ulfat Bibi expressed her desire to be allowed to travel to India where she can meet her sister-in-law and nieces and nephews.

The two sisters have also appealed to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan to extend Bayanth’s visa if he cannot be granted Pakistan nationality.

PTI

The story of the emotional reunion comes at a time when both Pakistan and India are working together to open the Kartarpur Corridor, a pilgrim route to the Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan.

The cross-border pilgrim route is expected to help thousands of Sikh devotees to visit one of the most important religious places and help in increasing people to people contact.