Pakistan has “CHAK BHARAT” in it

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Pakistan has “CHAK BHARAT” in it

As reported by Pakistan leading newspaper DAWN in its November 26 edition, a news published under a heading “ A Village named Bharat in Pakistan” bought an interesting fact into light.

This fact came to light during a positive reporting by both the countries on  the much appreciated decision of Indian and Pakistani government to open the Kartarpur crossing and build a corridor between the two Punjab’s.

As per DAWN coverage a village Chak Bharat is located a few kilometers from Sialkot (in Pakistan) city. The pre partition village of Chak Bharat is a part of Sialkot’s union council of Shehni, about 25 km from the city.

As per the news published, housing the third generation of local families, this village of around 8000 people serves as a memory of the division of the Indian subcontinent, said a villager Muhammad Aslam. Before partition, 10 percent of the population of the village was Hindu, who migrated to India in August 1947.

Some villagers said they wished for durable peace between Pakistan and India and urged the two governments to engage in meaningful and result oriented talks to end decades old conflicts and issues.

Resident Basher said they felt a unique kind of pleasure while entering the village as if they had traveled to India even though the village was very much a part of Pakistan.They experienced a  distinct emotion knowing they had their own India here on this side of the border.

Former Shehni Union Council Chairman Malik Ziyafat Ali Awan, who is also  a former vice chairman of the district council, said the entire population of the village consisted of Muslims, and is surrounded by green fields. No one had ever objected to the name of this village, he added.

DAWN LINK: https://epaper.dawn.com/DetailNews.php?StoryText=26_11_2018_002_008