Seven decades on, Sikh visits graves of Pakistanis who saved family from partition bloodshed

Dr. Tarunjit Singh Butalia, an American Sikh of Indian descent, poses with Pakistani lawmaker Chaudhry Mehmood Bashir Virk (left), at the graves of Virk’s parents in Gujranwala, Pakistan, on November 28, 2021 (Photo Courtesy: Dr. Tarunjit Singh Butalia)
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Updated 08 December 2021
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Seven decades on, Sikh visits graves of Pakistanis who saved family from partition bloodshed

  • Partition in 1947 following India’s independence from British triggered one of the biggest forced migrations in history
  • As Butalia’s grandparents fled Gujranwala for Ferozepore, they were sheltered for over a month in Lahore by the Virk family

KARACHI: In August 1947, as British India was being partitioned into independent India and Pakistan, Dr. Tarunjit Singh Butalia’s grandparents fled their village in Gujranwala district, in what was soon to become Pakistan, for Ferozepore, in what was soon to become India.

All around them was carnage — a bloody orgy of violence and communal rioting that they were able to escape by sheltering for over a month at the home of a Muslim couple in what is now the central Pakistani city of Lahore.

Last month, Butalia, an American Sikh of Indian descent who has a PhD in civil engineering, arrived at his ancestral village in Gujranwala district from Colombus, Ohio, to visit the graves of the Muslim friends who had saved his grandparents’ lives over seven decades ago.




Dr. Tarunjit Singh Butalia, an American Sikh of Indian descent, kisses the grave of Bashir Ahmed Virk, a Pakistani Muslim who saved his grandparents’ lives during independence riots in 1947. Photo taken in Gujranwala, Pakistan, on November 28, 2021 (Photo Courtesy Dr. Tarunjit Singh Butalia)

The partition in 1947, following India’s independence from British rule, triggered one of the biggest forced migrations in history, marred by bloodshed, as about 15 million Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs, fearing discrimination and violence, swapped countries in a political upheaval that cost more than a million lives.

During the chaotic transition, train cars full of bodies arrived at railway stations in the twin cities of Lahore and Amritsar in the province of Punjab, split roughly down the middle at partition on August 14, 1947.

Many survivors of the bloodshed found themselves separated from family on the other side of a hastily drawn-up border.

It was in these circumstances that Bashir Ahmed Virk, a Muslim tax and revenue officer posted in Lahore, provided shelter to his friend Captain Ajit Singh Butalia, along with his wife Narinder Kaur and their two little children, as they tried to make their way to Indian Punjab.

“Virk and his family took extremely good care of them,” Butalia, 56, told Arab News in a telephone interview this week, saying he grew up hearing stories about the Virk family’s generosity from his grandparents and parents.




An undated photo of Captain Ajit Singh Butalia and his wife Sardarni Narinder Kaur (Photo Courtesy: Dr. Tarunjit Singh Butalia)

In a book called “My Journey Home” that Butalia published last year, he said his grandparents had initially decided to stay put in their ancestral village of Butala in what is today the Pakistani part of the Punjab after being assured of safety by local Muslims. But when the family home was set on fire by a Muslim mob in September 1947, it became clear that the place where the Butalia family had lived for generations was no longer home.

“It was September 1947 — the Butala Sardars left their ancestral village Butala Sardar Jhanda Singh near Gujranwala,” Butalia wrote. “My grandfather Capt. Ajit Singh Butalia (retired) wore a round turban similar to a Muslim man, my grandmother (Sardarni Narinder Kaur Butalia) a burqa, holding their 3 month old son Col. Sarabjit Singh Butalia (retired) in her arms, put 2 year old Squadron Leader Narinderjit Singh Butalia (retired) on a donkey and the Butala Sardars left their ancestral village on foot for good — never to return again.”

“My grandparents walked several days toward a refugee camp, near Gujranwala. When they arrived, the British officer in charge discovered that my grandfather had served in the British Army and took it upon himself to facilitate his family across the border. On the way from the camp to the border, a mob of Muslims stopped the vehicle and demanded that the Sikh family be handed over to them. My grandfather recognized some of the men in the mob and they decided instead to take the family to Lahore to stay with one of my grandfather’s friend. What a change of heart — from mobsters to shelter providers.”

For about a month, the Butalias then lived in the home of Virk, whose family provided them with clothing and food (including non-halal meat).




An undated photo of Bashir Ahmed Virk, a Pakistani official who saved the lives of a Sikh couple by giving refuge to them at his Lahore house in September 1947 (Photo Courtesy: Dr. Tarunjit Singh Butalia)

“The neighbors began to suspect that a Sikh family might be hiding in the home of a Muslim,” Butalia wrote in his book. “One Friday when my grandfather’s friend went to the mosque for prayers, the Imam pulled him aside and inquired about who was staying at his home. He replied that it was his brother and his family. The Imam then asked him to swear upon the Qur’an that it was his brother’s family. This unknown friend of my grandfather swore upon the Qur’an that this was his brother’s family.”

Explaining that the oath had not been a false one, Butalia told Arab News: “He truly looked at my grandfather as his brother.”

“For every partition story of human failings, of horror and savagery, there is an even more compelling human story of compassion, love, and friendship at great personal peril,” Butalia wrote.

Indeed, such stories of camaraderie as found between the Butalias and Virks were not rare in pre-partition India, even if they are hard to imagine since 1947 when departing British colonial administrators ordered the creation of two countries, one mostly Muslim and one majority Hindu. Today, India and Pakistan are arch-rivals who have fought three wars and continue to have tense relations, particularly when it comes to the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, which both claim in full.

Ties between family and friends on either side of the border continue to be unimpeded by travel curbs or poisoned by nationalist bluster.

But this did not stop Butalia from hoping to visit his family’s ancestral village in Pakistan and pay homage to their Pakistani friends.

When his book was published in December last year, a Pakistani academic in Lahore, Kalyan Singh, who was already aware of the link between the Butalias and the Virks, helped Butalia find the family in Gujranwala. Singh also subsequently introduced Butalia to Mahmood Bashir Virk, a successful politician from Gujranwala and the son of Bashir Ahmed Virk.

“This is how I got connected,” Butalia said. “It almost sounds impossible, but I finally found the family after 70 years!”




Dr. Tarunjit Singh Butalia, an American Sikh of Indian descent, meets with Pakistani lawmaker Chaudhry Mehmood Bashir Virk (left) at Virk’s village in Gujranwala, Pakistan, on November 28, 2021 (Photo Courtesy: Dr. Tarunjit Singh Butalia)

“I was a child but I still remember there were killings going on in the surrounding villages,” Mahmood told Arab News. “However, our village was peaceful, which was largely because of my father. He told me during the last days of his life that he saved people since he was trying to prepare for the hereafter.”

Last year, Butalia arrived in Gujranwala and met Virk. This year, he returned with one goal: to visit the graves of his family’s saviors.

“I visited their resting places, though I know I can never thank them enough for what they have done,” he said. “As I bode farewell to them, I knelt down to kiss their graves and prayed: ‘May everyone in the world be like you, Bashir Ahmed Virk and Amna Bibi.’”


In Rawalpindi, 77-year-old tea shop named after India’s Ludhiana is still a hit with customers

Updated 13 sec ago
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In Rawalpindi, 77-year-old tea shop named after India’s Ludhiana is still a hit with customers

  • Ludhiana Tea Shop owners migrated from India’s northwestern city at the time of Partition in 1947
  • Customers say they come from far-off places to relish the taste of tea at the shop which they find unique

RAWALPINDI: At a small tea shop in Pakistan’s garrison city of Rawalpindi, Nazir Hussain pours piping hot tea from a kettle into small cups and hands them away to eager customers, many of them regulars who have been frequenting the shop for decades.
This is the scene from a typical evening at Ludhiana Tea Shop, located in the narrow streets of Rawalpindi’s old Lal Kurti area. The tea shop takes its name after the northwestern Indian city of Ludhiana, from where its owners migrated to Rawalpindi in 1947.
“My grandfather named this business in the memory of his hometown in India,” Hussain, who took charge of the shop in 1976, told Arab News, adding that he also sold dairy products and ghee.
“We are a family of milk sellers,” he said. “In India, we used to do the same. We were milk sellers and we used to own buffaloes.”
The shop has been serving tea to customers for the past 77 years. Agha Asghar Saeed, 72, is one of them and has been coming here since he was young.
“I was born here. I spent my childhood here, my youth and now my old age as well,” he told Arab News. “I’ve been having this tea since then.”
During the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Saeed would break his fast at home but have tea at Ludhiana Tea Shop.
“I am addicted to this tea,” he explained.
But what inspires such loyalty in customers?
“You have to buy good quality milk,” Hussain said, adding that he purchased pure and organic milk for his shop that was a bit expensive. “Not everyone knows how to buy good milk.”
He maintained that most milk sellers in Pakistan did not sell pure milk, making him take several sips while buying to check the fat content.
Just like the milk, he continued, the quality of the tea leaves was also important.
The price of one cup of tea used to be around five paisas several years ago.
“Now, we sell it for Rs60 (22 cents),” he added.
The rich taste of Ludhiana Tea Shop means Muhammad Hasnain and his friends visit it every day rather than go to other tea shops in the neighborhood.
“Obviously, everybody wants a good bang for their buck,” Hasnain told Arab News. “The most important thing for anyone is that the quality should be good, and both quality and quantity are good here.”
Ludhiana Tea Shop offers customers deep-fried sweet and savory snacks, such as pakoras, samosas, jalebis and spring rolls, delectable items popularly consumed in Pakistan with tea.
Muhammad Shoaib Khan, a man in his 30s, informed he visited the shop with his friends at least a couple of times every day.
“We come on our bikes and travel for at least 1.5 kilometer on every trip,” Khan told Arab News. “It roughly adds up to 6 kilometers.”
Despite the cost of petrol, which has surged in recent times, Khan said he visited the shop for tea because it was worth it.
Hussain said he understood why customers came from far-off places just to have a cup of tea at his 77-year-old shop.
“Everyone cannot make good tea,” he said. “They don’t pour their heart in it. They lack passion. Making good tea is something that can only be done from the heart.”


Malala Yousafzai vows support for Gaza after backlash over Broadway musical

Updated 32 min 17 sec ago
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Malala Yousafzai vows support for Gaza after backlash over Broadway musical

  • Yousafzai was criticized in Pakistan for co-producing a play with Hillary Clinton who supports Israel’s Gaza campaign
  • The Nobel laureate says ‘we do not need to see more dead bodies’ to understand the urgency of a ceasefire in Gaza

LAHORE: Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai on Thursday condemned Israel and reaffirmed her support for Palestinians in Gaza, after a backlash in her native Pakistan over a Broadway musical she co-produced with former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Yousafzai, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014, has been condemned by some for partnering with Clinton, an outspoken supporter of Israel’s war against Hamas.
The musical, titled “Suffs,” depicts the American women’s suffrage campaign for the right to vote in the 20th century and has been playing in New York since last week.
“I want there to be no confusion about my support for the people of Gaza,” Yousafzai wrote on X, the former Twitter. “We do not need to see more dead bodies, bombed schools and starving children to understand that a ceasefire is urgent and necessary.”
She added: “I have and will continue to condemn the Israeli government for its violations of international law and war crimes.”
Pakistan has seen many fiercely emotional pro-Palestinian protests since the war in Gaza began last October.
Yousafzai’s “theatre collaboration with Hillary Clinton – who stands for America’s unequivocal support for genocide of Palestinians – is a huge blow to her credibility as a human rights activist,” popular Pakistani columnist Mehr Tarar wrote on social media platform X on Wednesday.
“I consider it utterly tragic.”
Whilst Clinton has backed a military campaign to remove Hamas and rejected demands for a ceasefire, she has also explicitly called for protections for Palestinian civilians.
Yousafzai has publicly condemned the civilian casualties and called for a ceasefire in Gaza.
The New York Times reported the 26-year-old wore a red-and-black pin to the “Suffs” premier last Thursday, signifying her support for a ceasefire.
But author and academic Nida Kirmani said on X that Yousafzai’s decision to partner with Clinton was “maddening and heartbreaking at the same time. What an utter disappointment.”
The war began with an unprecedented Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 that resulted in the deaths of around 1,170 people, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures. Hamas militants also abducted 250 people and Israel estimates 129 of them remain in Gaza, including 34 who the military says are dead.
Clinton served as America’s top diplomat during former president Barack Obama’s administration, which oversaw a campaign of drone strikes targeting Taliban militants in Pakistan and Afghanistan’s borderlands.
Yousafzai earned her Nobel Peace Prize after being shot in the head by the Pakistani Taliban as she pushed for girls’ education as a teenager in 2012.
However, the drone war killed and maimed scores of civilians in Yousafzai’s home region, spurring more online criticism of the youngest Nobel Laureate, who earned the prize at 17.
Yousafzai is often viewed with suspicion in Pakistan, where critics accuse her of pushing a Western feminist and liberal political agenda on the conservative country.


Pakistan commends UAE leadership for ‘swift’ response to record-breaking rains

Updated 24 April 2024
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Pakistan commends UAE leadership for ‘swift’ response to record-breaking rains

  • Pakistan’s foreign minister telephones UAE counterpart, expresses sympathy over devastation caused by torrential rains
  • Heavy rains lashed UAE last week, turning streets into rivers and hobbling Dubai airport, world’s busiest for global passengers

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday commended the United Arab Emirates (UAE) leadership for its swift and efficient response to the devastation caused by record-breaking rains in the desert country. 

Heavy rains lashed the desert country last week, turning streets into rivers and hobbling Dubai airport, the world’s busiest for international passengers.

The rainfall was the UAE’s heaviest since records began 75 years ago, dumping two years’ worth of rain on the desert country. 

“Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held telephone conversation with Foreign Minister His Highness Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed of United Arab Emirates to express deepest sympathy on the devastation caused by recent torrential rains,” Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said. 

“He commended the leadership of the UAE for the swift, efficient and timely administrative response to this natural calamity,” it added. 

The foreign ministry said both representatives also exchanged views on matters of bilateral and global importance. 

Pakistan’s PM Sharif last Friday telephoned UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, urging both countries to collaborate to tackle the impacts of climate change. 

Sharif had lauded the UAE president for his “outstanding leadership qualities” and strong commitment to ensure the welfare of the Emirati people. 

Pakistan has been prone to natural disasters and consistently ranks among one of the most adversely affected countries due to the effects of climate change. Torrential rains have killed more than 90 people in the South Asian country this month, according to authorities.


Malala Yousafzai faces backlash for Clinton musical co-credit

Updated 24 April 2024
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Malala Yousafzai faces backlash for Clinton musical co-credit

  • Malala Yousafzai co-produced “Suffs” musical with Hillary Clinton, which depicts American women’s struggle for right to vote
  • Yousafzai has been condemned by some for partnering with Clinton, an ardent supporter of Israel’s war on Palestine

LAHORE: Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai faced a backlash in her native Pakistan on Wednesday, after the premier of a Broadway musical she co-produced with former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The musical, titled “Suffs” and playing in New York since last week, depicts the American women’s suffrage campaign for the right to vote in the 20th century.

However Yousafzai, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014, has been condemned by some for partnering with Clinton, an outspoken supporter of Israel’s war against Hamas.

Pakistan has seen many fiercely emotional pro-Palestinian protests since the war in Gaza began last October.

“Her theater collaboration with Hillary Clinton — who stands for America’s unequivocal support for genocide of Palestinians — is a huge blow to her credibility as a human rights activist,” popular Pakistani columnist Mehr Tarar wrote on social media platform X.

“I consider it utterly tragic.”

Whilst Clinton has backed a military campaign to remove Hamas and rejected demands for a ceasefire, she has also explicitly called for protections for Palestinian civilians.

Yousafzai has publically condemned the civilian casualties and called for a ceasefire in Gaza.

The New York Times reported the 26-year-old wore a red-and-black pin to the “Suffs” premier last Thursday, signifying her support for a ceasefire.

But author and academic Nida Kirmani said on X that Yousafzai’s decision to partner with Clinton was “maddening and heartbreaking at the same time. What an utter disappointment.”

Israel’s military offensive has killed at least 34,262 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.

The war began with an unprecedented Hamas attack on October 7 that resulted in the deaths of around 1,170 people, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

Clinton served as America’s top diplomat during former president Barack Obama’s administration, which oversaw a campaign of drone strikes targeting Taliban militants in Pakistan and Afghanistan’s borderlands.

Yousafzai earned her Nobel Peace Prize after being shot in the head by the Pakistani Taliban as she pushed for girl’s education as a teenager in 2012.

However the drone war killed and maimed scores of civilians in Yousafzai’s home region, spurring more online criticism of the youngest Nobel Laureate, who earned the prize at 17.

Yousafzai is often viewed with suspicion in Pakistan, where critics accuse her of pushing a Western feminist and liberal political agenda on the conservative country.


Pakistan’s foreign minister calls for early resumption of PIA flights to Europe

Updated 24 April 2024
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Pakistan’s foreign minister calls for early resumption of PIA flights to Europe

  • Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar meets EU ambassador to discuss bilateral ties, trade and matters of mutual interest
  • PIA flights to Europe and the UK have been suspended since 2020 following Pakistan’s infamous pilot license scandal

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday stressed the resumption of direct flights from the country’s national airline to Europe, the foreign ministry said, in his meeting with EU Ambassador Riina Kionka during which both sides discussed bilateral relations, trade and matters of mutual interest. 

PIA flights to Europe and the UK have been suspended since 2020 after the EU’s Aviation Safety Agency revoked the national carrier’s authorization to fly to the bloc following a pilot license scandal that rocked the country. The issue resulted in the grounding of 262 of Pakistan’s 860 pilots, including 141 of PIA’s 434.

Kionka and Dar discussed Pakistan-EU bilateral ties and important issues of mutual interest during their meeting, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said. Dar told Kionka Pakistan views the EU as a “valued partner” and an important factor of stability during the current volatile times. 

“FM emphasized the significance of direct flights between Pakistan and European countries in view of large diasporas,” MoFA said. “In this regard, he stressed on the need for an early resumption of PIA flights to Europe.”

Both sides also expressed satisfaction over the “significant progress” of Pakistan-EU institutional mechanisms and resolved to maintain the upward trajectory of their relations by increasing their high-level interactions.

“FM vowed to further strengthen the existing strategic partnership in all areas, inter alia, trade, migration, climate change,” MoFA said. 

“The EU side assured their full cooperation to Pakistan in achieving the objectives of economic diplomacy.”

The EU is Pakistan’s second most important trading partner, accounting for over 14 percent of the country’s total trade and absorbing 28 percent of Pakistan’s total exports. Pakistani exports to the EU are dominated by textiles and clothing.

Pakistan’s GSP+ status is a special trade arrangement offered by the EU to developing economies in return for their commitment to implement 27 international conventions on human rights, environmental protection and governance.