Partition India was Bitter and Painful.
Pakistan was created out of India August 14, 1947. Muslims migrated to Pakistan and non-muslims from new Pakistan territory moved to India. This created a turmoil, chaos; killing, robbery and forced sex. Innumerable number of people suffered with loss of loved ones, belongings, and hunger and barefooted journey; children killed unto parents and parents killed leaving children in orphanage, wives widowers, daughters without protection, sons who were dreamed to become?? were forced to work and support family.
In Jalandhar, during partition migration process people moved to a transitory refugee camp at Jalandhar Cantonment. My father who had all the savings and jewelry with him, for safety, gone to attend call of nature and fresh up for prayer at sunset time, but never came back. He was killed by someone who knew of a treasure with him. Search and announcements were made to no avail.
Finally we landed in Pakistan and moved to the house of brother-in-law of my father; M. Islam in Chauburgi Quarters, Lahore. While everybody had limited-to-family resources, family of my father's sister Zainab Mohammad Islam, provided us shelter and food in their home. Uncle Islam was office superintendent in Public Works Department. Someone helped us find a temporary work place run by Begum Fatima (most probably she was MPA and had a hostel run for girl students) in Inder Nagar, Multan Road, Lahore, producing bed sheets and blankets for refugees. My mother knew stitching and got a job there and Begum Fatima helped us occupy a portion of a house in Inder Street. May Allah bless her (Aameen).
Maternal and paternal uncles also helped us a lot. Their children mixed up with us and made us feel comfortable.
My mother who knew sewing/stitching used her skills to earn for kitchen and children education, without which it could have been very hard. May God reward her all the best (Aameen).
I took admission in Islamia High School, Sant Nagar, Lahore to do my high school and got through it in 1949. I attended morning and evening classes and during time in between I came back home and used to help mother in shopping grocery. Soon after that, with the help of a relative Sheikh Sardar Mohammad, I got a job in local office of Thal Development Authority in Lahore. Sheikh Sardar Mohammad was Office Superintendent there and so the employees took me a "sheikh", called me Sheikh Sarwar. Here all employees helped me in picking up office work. I was supervised by Mr. Naqvi a very helpful person. May God reward him also (Aameen). I was transferred to the site office in Shahpur Sadar, and then to Jauharabad - in Thal (desert) where development work was being carried out under the chairmanship and administration of Zafarul Ahsan.Malik Abdul Hamid Khan a business man in Lahore (Pak Industrial & Trading Corporation, brought me to work for him (in Pak Industrial & Trading Company) at Lahore. I joined them in 1952 and thus, came back to my family.
Email: sheikhmsaarwar@gmail.com
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