Sadaf: When did you and nana-abu decide that it was time to leave India and move to Pakistan - what made you decide?

Syeda: We did not have any choice. It was done by the Military (British Army) your Nana-Abba was working for the Military as a Subedaar [leader of an army unit]. He was told to get his family together and keep it a secret and tell no one. His office must have asked everyone if they wanted to move to Pakistan. It is also an exceptional case that we were able to move to Pakistan by Military plane otherwise people either traveled on foot or by trains. Nothing was safe at that time. All the workers came at the same time and there was no time to decide. We flew from Dehli to Rawalpindi in a plane and it took three hours. Many others were not that lucky.

Sadaf: What did you think of Partition? Was it good? Necessary?

Syeda: It [partition] was the most horrible thing that happened as English Government left with no one in charge and everyone – Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims started killing each other.

Sadaf: Is it true that your sister thought the family were coming by train and thought that they were on a train where everyone had been slaughtered?

Syeda: Mubarka Khala [my sister] was already in Pakistan and the train that left on August 8, 1947 was met with violence and many Muslims were slaughtered in that train. They [Mubarka Khala] thought that Nani Ama was coming in that train. Masud Mamoon Jan [my brother’s] family also left on the train on August 8 but his train was an earlier one and reached Pakistan safely with no incident. We were never told when we will arrive in Pakistan and timings were changing and no fixed time was given to any family or to us. Mubarka Khala was really worried but thank god everyone got there safely.

Sadaf: What was it like arriving in Pakistan? Was it how they expected? Was it easy to make friends and meet people? Or was it difficult?

Syeda: When we arrived in Pakistan we were met by [another relative] Late Haji Naseer-ul-Haq, he was Colonel in the Army and in charge of receiving and arranging our accommodation in Pakistan. We stayed in the tent and after washing up and saying our prayer moved to the 4 room house in Rawalpindi. The houses were left by Hindus and Sikhs that went to India so who ever occupied becomes the owner.

Sadaf: Were you glad you came?

Syeda: Yes, I was happy because I felt that Hindus and Sikhs were killing Muslims and it was impossible to survive in India being a Muslim.

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