Swat Youth Reunites Family Separated for Over Four Decades in Sri Lanka

By Farzana Chaudhry
Lahore, Pakistan
SWAT: A young man from Charbagh area of Swat district, currently residing in Sri Lanka, has helped reunite a family that had been separated for more than four decades, in what residents are describing as a remarkable act of humanity and compassion.
Hassan Ali came across a man named Imtiaz during his stay in Sri Lanka, who shared the heartbreaking story of his sister, Asmiya. According to Imtiaz, Asmiya married a Pakistani citizen in Dubai in 1975 and later shifted to Pakistan. However, after a few years, all contact with her was lost despite repeated efforts by the family to trace her whereabouts.
Deeply moved by the story, Hassan Ali decided to help and contacted social worker Waliullah Maroof, who has long been involved in tracing missing persons and reconnecting separated families. Together, they launched efforts to locate Asmiya and her relatives by gathering information from multiple sources and pursuing every possible lead.
After weeks of continuous struggle and investigation, they finally succeeded in tracing the family members who had remained separated for decades.
The reunion led to emotional moments as relatives, who had spent a lifetime apart, were finally able to reconnect and speak with one another again.
Residents and social circles in the area have widely appreciated the efforts of Hassan Ali and Waliullah Maroof, describing the development as a powerful reminder of how individual determination and compassion can help restore broken family ties.
Speaking about the experience, Hassan Ali said his only intention was to do something meaningful for humanity. He said seeing the family reunited and back in contact brought him immense satisfaction. He added that both sides are now regularly communicating and rebuilding their relationship after years of separation.