Shahbaz Sharif, Chief Minister of Pakistan’s Punjab province and brother of Pakistan president Nawaz Sharif, made an emotional return to his ancestral village here on Sunday.
The arrival also marked the realisation of a lifelong wish to set foot on the land of his forefathers.
As the helicopters bearing the Sharif family along with Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal touched down at the makeshift helipad on the village outskirts, a visibly moved Sharif disembarked from the copter and touched the soil in a dramatic gesture.
Later, the visiting dignitaries were taken to the house donated by Sharif’s ancestors for the construction of Gurdwara Kalgidhar. And Gian Singh and Massa Singh, friends of Sharif’s father Muhammad Sharif could barely fight back tears of joy as they met their long lost friend’s son.
They hugged and kissed Sharif on the forehead and blessed his wife, his son Suleman, daughter Ayesha Haroon and their in-laws.
The Pakistani leader requested his hosts to sent a delegation from the village,including Gian and Massa to Pakistan and assured them that he would take care of the visa formalities and accommodation.
According to him, Gurbachan Singh and Major Singh– sons of his father’s friend Arjan Singh-- had visited him last year.
Shahbaz also addressed a reception hosted in his honour and the 1000-odd villagers, who had waited patiently for over five hours, gave a standing ovation to their famous fellow villager.
Speaking in Punjabi, Shahbaz Sharif recalled his first visit to the village, along with his father and five uncles, when they sat on the cots of the Panchayat and relished the hot milk served by the villagers.
Shahbaz said his father was so emotionally connected with the village since theirs was the only Muslim family in the Sikh dominated village.
Recalling their rise from a family of humble farmers, he said his uncles had worked as daily labourers at the factory of one Hindu and later started their own iron casting factory.
