A Pakistani YouTube channel is helping to reunite Indian and Pakistani relatives separated during the turbulent partition that split both countries in 1947.
After the British left the Indian subcontinent following a 200-year rule, the region was divided into two independent nation states: Hindu-majority India and Muslim-dominated Pakistan.
This historic period saw millions leave their homes and relocate to one of the two newly formed countries. Historians estimate the number of people displaced was between 14 and 20 million, while up to two million are believed to have died in the ensuing violence.
To help reunite these people, Nasir Dhillon and Bhupinder Singh Lovely launched a Facebook page seven years ago. Word quickly spread and soon the page evolved into the Punjabi Lehar YouTube channel, which, at the time of writing, has 587,000 subscribers.
"Lehar" translates to wave in Urdu.
The two Pakistani YouTubers, both partners in a property firm, help trace missing relatives and their ancestral homes through their platform.
“Our main objective is to bridge the gap between the people of both nations who became lost in the partition’s riots,” says Mr Dhillon, who lives in Faisalabad, a city 300 kilometres away from Pakistan's capital Islamabad.
"The relatives can upload whatever information and photos they have about the missing persons following which we leverage our network on both sides of the border to trace them. So far, we’ve helped reunite 300 families."
Mr Dhillon, 37, says his decade working as an officer with the Punjab Police has also helped him hone his skills in tracing missing persons.
However, inspiration for the project actually came to him from his late grandfather who would narrate tragic stories of families torn apart by the partition, including his own.
“My grandfather was from Tarn Taran village in India’s Punjab state. But he was one among hordes who migrated to Pakistan. As a boy, I’d listen mesmerised to his narrations of the partition days, how he missed his relatives and friends from the village and how nice it’d be if someone could reunite them. This gave me the idea to launch Punjabi Lehar,” explains Mr Dhillon.
The father-of-three says he too is keen to explore his roots and visit his ancestral village “if the Indian government provides me a visa”. But, until that happens, he says he’s happy to reunite dozens of other families tormented by a cruel period of history.
Punjabi Lehar’s biggest success story has been that of reuniting two elderly brothers in Kartarpur, the Sikh pilgrimage in Pakistan, after a 74-year separation. The Indian government reopened the 4.1km Kartarpur Corridor in November 2021 after it was shut in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
A bilateral diplomatic pact between the two countries allows Indian pilgrims of all faiths to undertake round-the-year visa-free travel through the passage.
“The corridor links Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur in Pakistan, the final resting place of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak, with the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district in India’s Punjab state. The reopening of the corridor has made our task of reuniting families easier,” says Mr Dhillon.
The emotional meeting of Saddique Khan, 84, from Pakistan’s Punjab region and his brother Sikka Khan, 76, from India’s Punjab state, lasted more than one hour before the siblings returned to their respective homes.
The video of the brothers embracing each other and sobbing inconsolably went viral, garnering millions of views. Dhillon says that many teary-eyed viewers were so moved by the reunion they personally contacted them to find out about their well-being.
“We’re so grateful to the governments of both countries for opening the Kartarpur Corridor,” Sikka Khan said, speaking on the phone from Pakistan in a voice choked with emotion.
He said he is currently staying with his brother and his "prosperous” family of four sons and two daughters in Pakistan and has never been happier.
“No one can replace family," says Mr Khan. "These are blood ties. I never married and live alone in India, so being in my brother’s thriving household resonating with laughter and children’s banter is something I’ve only dreamt of. I can’t thank Punjabi Lehar enough for facilitating this fairy tale family reunion."
Another recent happy reunion was that of Mumtaz Bibi, 69, who lives in India, and her sister Gulabo, 71, who settled in Pakistan’s Punjab region.
The sisters were very young when they became separated. Gulabo was taken to Pakistan by her uncles, while Mumtaz remained in India with her mother, who was tragically killed in a robbery.
Depressed and lonely, the latter craved to meet her long lost family. Finally, with Mr Dhillon’s help, the two sisters met.
Mumtaz even stayed with Gulabo’s family for two weeks in her Pakistani home delighted to be surrounded by her near and dear ones.
At a time when relations between neighbours India and Pakistan remain acrimonious at best, platforms such as Punjab Lehar offer a glimmer of hope to families who have already lost so much.
SPEC%20SHEET
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EProcessor%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Apple%20M2%2C%208-core%20CPU%2C%20up%20to%2010-core%20CPU%2C%2016-core%20Neural%20Engine%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDisplay%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2013.6-inch%20Liquid%20Retina%2C%202560%20x%201664%2C%20224ppi%2C%20500%20nits%2C%20True%20Tone%2C%20wide%20colour%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMemory%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%2F16%2F24GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStorage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20256%2F512GB%20%2F%201%2F2TB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EI%2FO%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Thunderbolt%203%20(2)%2C%203.5mm%20audio%2C%20Touch%20ID%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EConnectivity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Wi-Fi%206%2C%20Bluetooth%205.0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2052.6Wh%20lithium-polymer%2C%20up%20to%2018%20hours%2C%20MagSafe%20charging%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECamera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201080p%20FaceTime%20HD%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EVideo%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Support%20for%20Apple%20ProRes%2C%20HDR%20with%20Dolby%20Vision%2C%20HDR10%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAudio%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204-speaker%20system%2C%20wide%20stereo%2C%20support%20for%20Dolby%20Atmos%2C%20Spatial%20Audio%20and%20dynamic%20head%20tracking%20(with%20AirPods)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EColours%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Silver%2C%20space%20grey%2C%20starlight%2C%20midnight%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIn%20the%20box%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20MacBook%20Air%2C%2030W%20or%2035W%20dual-port%20power%20adapter%2C%20USB-C-to-MagSafe%20cable%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh4%2C999%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh1,470,000 (est)
Engine 6.9-litre twin-turbo W12
Gearbox eight-speed automatic
Power 626bhp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 900Nm @ 1,350rpm
Fuel economy, combined 14.0L / 100km
Pieces of Her
Stars: Toni Collette, Bella Heathcote, David Wenham, Omari Hardwick
Director: Minkie Spiro
Rating:2/5
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
more from Janine di Giovanni
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
RACE CARD
6.30pm Maiden (TB) Dh82.500 (Dirt) 1,400m
7.05pm Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,400m
7.40pm Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (Turf) 2,410m
8.15pm Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (D) 1,900m
8.50pm UAE 2000 Guineas Trial (TB) Conditions Dh183,650 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm Dubai Trophy (TB) Conditions Dh183,650 (T) 1,200m
10pm Handicap (TB) Dh102,500 (T) 1,400m
How to increase your savings
- Have a plan for your savings.
- Decide on your emergency fund target and once that's achieved, assign your savings to another financial goal such as saving for a house or investing for retirement.
- Decide on a financial goal that is important to you and put your savings to work for you.
- It's important to have a purpose for your savings as it helps to keep you motivated to continue while also reducing the temptation to spend your savings.
- Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
