After 35 long years of separation, Rab Nawaz has finally been reunited with his family. A moment that brought tears of joy, relief, and gratitude to everyone involved.
Rab Nawaz, son of Allah Ditta, is a special individual who has been missing from his family for approximately 35 years. Over the decades, his loved ones lived with uncertainty and unanswered questions, never knowing where he was or whether they would ever see him again.
On 25 February 2024, Rab Nawaz was shifted to Edhi Foundation Village Super Highway, Karachi, where he was provided shelter, care, and protection. Like many vulnerable individuals who become separated from their families, he spent years away from his loved ones without any connection to his past.
As part of its nationwide mission to reunite lost and vulnerable individuals with their families, the Mera Pyara team traveled from Punjab to Karachi and conducted visits to various shelter homes, including Edhi Foundation facilities. During these visits, the team collected and documented the details of unidentified and vulnerable individuals residing there.
Each case was carefully recorded, photographs were taken, and short interviews were conducted wherever possible. The collected information was then added to Mera Pyara’s centralized dashboard, where individual tracing cases were created. The team also designed awareness banners and shared recorded video interviews on Mera Pyara’s official social media platforms to maximize public outreach.
The objective was simple but powerful: if even one person recognized a familiar face, a family that had been separated for years could be reunited.
Rab Nawaz was one of the individuals whose profile was documented and added to the Mera Pyara system. His case was formally registered, and efforts to trace his family began.
A breakthrough came when Muhammad Jamshaid, a neighbor from Rab Nawaz’s hometown, came across one of Mera Pyara’s awareness posts and recognized him immediately. Realizing that the individual featured in the campaign was the same person who had gone missing decades earlier, he contacted the Mera Pyara helpline and shared important information with the team.
The information was carefully reviewed and verified. During the tracing process, Rab Nawaz’s wife, Iqbal Mai, was also contacted. She confirmed his identity and provided further details that helped establish the family connection.
Following detailed verification, documentation, and coordination with all relevant stakeholders, the identity of Rab Nawaz was successfully confirmed. Once all required procedures were completed, he was safely handed over to his family.
For a family that had spent more than three decades waiting, this reunion was nothing short of extraordinary. The emotions of that moment are difficult to describe. After 35 years of uncertainty, a husband, relative, and loved one had finally returned home.
This success story reflects the broader mission of Mera Pyara – Virtual Center for Child Safety, which was launched in July 2024 under Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA) to identify, trace, and reunite missing, vulnerable, and unidentified individuals with their families. Through shelter home visits, digital records, public awareness campaigns, social media outreach, and technology-driven tracing efforts, Mera Pyara continues to restore lives and reconnect families across Pakistan.
The impact of these efforts has earned international recognition. Within less than two years of its establishment, Mera Pyara – Virtual Center for Child Safety was recognized globally as a WSIS Champion Project and was declared among the Top 5 e-Government projects in the world. This achievement highlights Pakistan’s innovative approach to child protection and family reunification and reflects the real impact these efforts are creating in people’s lives.
Every successful reunification tells a story of hope. For Rab Nawaz and his family, it marked the end of 35 years of separation and the beginning of a new chapter filled with belonging, dignity, and happiness.
Mera Pyara remains committed to ensuring that no vulnerable individual is forgotten and that every possible effort is made to reconnect families, no matter how many years have passed.
You can also read another inspiring reunification story of a lost child, Lali who was reunited with his family after 5 years of separation through the efforts of Mera Pyara.
واللہ المستعانان