How a B.C. family found a long-lost brother after 76 years

Nirmal Kaur’s family in Surrey have been uploading emotional videos on YouTube for 10 long years, hoping that it helps to find her lost brother Abdul Khaliq in Pakistan.

It’s a search that started with the partition of India in 1947, when two nations, India and Pakistan, were divided and countless families torn apart.

“Our memories of partition are faint because we were too young, but stories about him were always shared in the family. My brother never gave up hope, despite many hardships,” said Nirmal Kaur in an interview with OMNI news.

Khaliq, originally born as Mohan Singh, was only six years old when partition violence claimed the lives of his parents. In the chaos, while the rest of his family managed to escape to India, little Mohan was left behind in Pakistan. He was later raised by a local family, given a new name – Abdul Khaliq – and eventually settled there with a new life and family.

Meanwhile, his relatives who had come to India tried for years to find him without success. Over time, the family moved to Canada, still holding on to the hope that they might one day find him.

“We had faith in our Waheguru that Mohan will meet us, so we began uploading videos, hoping it would reach Pakistan. Finally, in 2021, we received a video from across the border showing Abdul Khaliq, and that was the time we decided to meet him,” said Khaliq’s cousin Nirmal Singh. 

One of their videos finally reached a man in Pakistan, who then asked Khaliq to record a video reply. At first, Khaliq refused, but after months of persuasion, he finally agreed.

“Seeing Mohan (Abdul) after years of longing was nothing short of a miracle… But it was meant to be. Our prayers were answered, and we decided to meet him, so we contacted them,” said his teary-eyed sister.

That one video response became the turning point. Through it, contact was established, and the families decided to meet at the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor — the only possible route where Indians and Pakistanis can meet without a visa, since Khaliq could not leave Pakistan, and his Canadian-based relatives could not travel deep inside Pakistan.

When they met, the family recognized Khaliq immediately — thanks to unique marks on his body and an extra finger on his hand, which they remembered from childhood. They also took DNA samples for confirmation, but in their hearts, they already knew it was him. His uncle, who once carried him as a child, identified him without doubt.

“Tears filled my eyes as I saw Mohan (Abdul) after decades. Once a child who played in my arms, he now stood before me — something I never believed I would witness again in this lifetime,” said Khaliq’s uncle.

This emotional reunion brought immense joy to both families. After so many years, they finally embraced the brother, uncle, and cousin they thought they had lost forever.

Now, Khaliq’s family in Canada has invited him to stay with them permanently. 

However, Khaliq says he is thankful to God for the reunion, but his life and his large family of 135 members are in Pakistan. He speaks with them every day and plans to return to Pakistan after spending a few days with his sister.

This extraordinary story is a rare reminder that even after decades of loss and separation, love and determination can bring families back together.