The contact was established due to social media

Riots had forced Ismaeel to leave Shahkot

The two cousins spoke over the phone and decided to meet up at the Katarpur corridor

Two cousins who were separated at the time of partition reunited after a period of 76 years. 

The contact was established due to social media. A YouTube channel from Pakistan’s Punjab had interviewed Ismaeel, a man in his 80s from the Sahiwal district. Riots had forced Ismaeel to leave Shahkot. Sardar Mission Singh from Australia came across the video and got in touch with the YouTuber informing them about his family members in India from whom he had separated. Subsequently Sardar provided Ismaeel the contact details of Surinder Kaur hailing from Jalandhar. 

The two cousins spoke over the phone and decided to meet up at the Katarpur corridor. The meeting between the two cousins was a very emotional affair. Kaur also used the opportunity to perform certain religious rituals. 

An official of the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) told PTI that the administration of Karatarpur Sahib aided in the reunion of the cousins. They met up at the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib along the Kartarpur corridor. This region acts as a link between the two countries. The Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan was the final resting place of Guru Nanak Dev. On this side of the border lies the Dera Baba Nanak Shrine. Indians can access this region without applying for visas.