Koh-e-Noor was only 8 years old when she was separated from her family in Bangladesh, nearly four decades ago. In the years that followed, she came to live in Depalpur Tehsil, District Okara, Pakistan, far from her birthplace and the people she had known as a child. Although her life moved on, the hope of one day reuniting with her family never faded. Through all those years, that hope remained alive in her heart.
Her journey took a new turn when a concerned citizen contacted Mera Pyara – Virtual Center for Child Safety and shared information about her. Recognising that every detail, however small, could matter, the Mera Pyara team took up her case and began tracing her family. To reach as wide an audience as possible, the team launched a social media campaign.
The team published a video featuring Koh-e-Noor on the official Mera Pyara Facebook page, appealing to the public to help identify her family. The team released it in the hope that someone, somewhere, would recognise her. The response came far sooner than expected. Just four hours after the video went live, the team received a call from Dubai. The caller introduced himself as Koh-e-Noor’s cousin and shared information that helped move the search forward. For a team that had only just begun its search, this was an encouraging breakthrough.
Soon afterwards, her family in Bangladesh also contacted the team and confirmed her identity. After nearly 40 years of separation, Koh-e-Noor had finally re-established contact with her loved ones. Alhamdulillah, a search that began with only a few details and a single social media appeal brought a family separated for four decades back into contact.
Reconnecting with her family has brought Koh-e-Noor renewed hope. Hearing from the family she was separated from as a child marks a new chapter in her life. Four decades of distance could not erase the bond she shared with her family, which remained alive throughout the years.
This case highlights the important role that public participation can play in reconnecting families. The timely action of a concerned citizen, combined with social media outreach and coordinated efforts, made it possible to reconnect a family across international borders within a remarkably short time. Each contribution, however small, can make a meaningful difference.
Mera Pyara - Virtual Center for Child Safety, an initiative of the Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA), remains committed to tracing lost and unidentified individuals and helping them reconnect with their families. Koh-e-Noor’s story shows that no case is too old to pursue. It also reminds us that, even after decades of separation, hope can lead the way home.
Read another heartwarming reunification story: Halima, a lost woman who reunited with her family in Bangladesh after 40 years of separation.