- Title: Muslim families torn between India, Pakistan, long to unite
- Date: 12th August 2017
- Summary: VARIOUS OF ARSHAD LOOKING AT OLD PHOTOGRAPHS (SOUNDBITE) (English) BROTHER OF ASIF FEHMI, ARSHAD FEHMI, SAYING: "When we are going to USA, we are going to European countries, we are going to any part of the world, you just go. There is (are) no restrictions at all. You just enter the city, the country and you can roam around. But, going to Pakistan is a laborious job. You have to report each and everywhere, why? Why this type of things should be there? When I am an Indian, I have a visa with you (me), why should I report to each and every state of what is this? This is nothing, nothing but harassment." KARACHI, PAKISTAN (RECENT - AUGUST 7, 2017) (REUTERS) KARACHI WITH WHITE-COLORED MAUSOLEUM OF FOUNDER OF PAKISTAN IN BACKGROUND HOUSE OF REHANA KHURSHEED HASHMI, WOMAN WHO MIGRATED FROM INDIA WITH HER FAMILY IN 1960 AND WHOSE RELATIVES, ASIF AND ARSHAD FEHMI, LIVE IN INDIA/HASMI STANDING WITH GRANDSON AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE HOUSE HASHMI CALLING OUT HER GRANDSON HASHMI SITTING WITH DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AND GRAND CHILDREN WHILE PREPARING BETEL LEAF FROM A PANDAN (TRADITIONAL INDIAN POT TO KEEP BETEL LEAF) HASHMI TALKING TO HER DAUGHTER-IN-LAW WHILE MAKING PAN (BETEL LEAF) HASHMI CHEWING PAN HASHMI SITTING WITH DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AND GRAND CHILDREN (SOUNDBITE) (Urdu) RELATIVE OF ASIF AND ARSHAD FEHMI, REHANA KHURSHEED HASHMI, SAYING: "The entire family, all my in-laws, they are very respectable to me. They give me lot of respect, I respect them as well. Keeping this in view (respect), if they have given you my address, I will not only thank them but I feel it with the core of my heart that they have thought so highly of me and they have remembered me." CLOSE OF HASHMI WIPING TEARS (SOUNDBITE) (Urdu) RELATIVE OF ASIF AND ARSHAD FEHMI, REHANA KHURSHEED HASHMI, SAYING: "The two countries should make a policy to ease visits for each other's families. Although there is a border between the two nations, there should not be many restrictions. India and Pakistan should make a policy so that the people from here and the people from there can easily meet each other." HASHMI GOING THROUGH PHOTO ALBUM AND TALKING TO HER GRANDSON
- Embargoed: 26th August 2017 03:40
- Keywords: India Pakistan Partition Independence Jama Mosque Old Delhi Divided Muslim Family
- Location: NEW DELHI, INDIA/KARACHI, PAKISTAN
- City: NEW DELHI, INDIA/KARACHI, PAKISTAN
- Country: Various
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace
- Reuters ID: LVA0076TUOX8L
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Thousands of Muslim families residing in Delhi's old quarters surrounding the majestic 17th century Jama Mosque have been living a divided life, torn by the painful partition of India and Pakistan.
As the two neighbours celebrate 70 years of independence from Britain and the subsequent formation of the two states, pain still remains vivid in the minds of families separated by the partition.
In 1947 millions of people found themselves on the wrong sides of the border following mass migration triggered by violence and bloodshed. More than one million people died in the political earthquake of partition.
The Fehmi family has experienced such separation with brother Mufti Shaukat Ali Fehmi opting to live in India while his sister Sadia stayed in Pakistan.
Sadia died soon after the 1947 partition but her children maintained their links with their paternal family and cousins in India.
Mufti's sons Arshad and Asif live with their families in a house next to the Grand mosque while Sadia's family lives in an upscale area of Karachi.
Asif Fehmi, a 63-year-old journalist and publisher recounts that tensions between the two countries has created unwanted barriers between families like theirs.
Travelling between the two countries became harder after an attack on India's parliament in December 2001 which New Delhi blamed on Pakistan-based Muslim militants fighting against Indian rule in Kashmir.
Meanwhile in her Karachi house, their late cousin's 75-year-old widow, Rehana, says she quite vividly remembers her childhood home and school located in Muradabad city in northern India where she grew up.
She got married in 1964 and gave birth to three sons. Now she is now the grandmother of eight children.
Now the families say they find it easier to meet up in a third country like England or the United States instead of travelling across the border. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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