Residents of Jatti Umra village in Amritsar district of Punjab had been keeping a close tab on the elections in Pakistan, remaining glued to TV sets since Saturday as they prayed for the win of Nawaz Sharif, the chief of PML-N. The village has connection with the Sharif’s family as it is the birthplace of Sharif’s father Mian Muhammad Sharif.
The village erupted in joy after news channel declared that Nawaz Sharif’s party has taken a big lead over Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and the former prime minister is all set form the government for the third time.
By Sunday morning, ladoos and sweets were being distributed in he village amid beats of dhol and bhangra at Jatti Umra. Residents of otherwise non-descript village suddenly found themselves in the thick of media coverage as they took pride in boasting the village’s connection with Sharifs.
The emotional attachment of the villagers with Sharif could be gauged from the fact that a group of villagers had travelled all the way to Pakistan on November 24, 2007, a day before Sharif returned from exile to Pakistan along with his brother Shahbaz Sharif from Saudi Arabia in an aircraft provided by the Saudi monarch.
Among those who went to Pakistan to welcome Sharif back from exile were Massa Singh and Gian Singh, the octogenarian villagers and friends of Nawaz’s father, and Balwinder Singh.
“After learning that Mian Nawaz Sharif was returning from exile, we reached Lahore a day before his return and met him in Lahore,” said Balwinder Singh (46), flaunting a photograph of the villagers with Sharif clicked at that time.
“Now, we would like to go to Pakistan again to attend Mian Nawaz Sharif’s swearing-in ceremony. Provided that visas are issued to us,” Balwinder told The Indian Express.
Balwinder, who works as an Upper Division Clerk with Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) added that Nawaz Sharif helped a number of village youths to send them to Saudi Arabia and arrange jobs for them. He claimed that Sharif family migrated to Pakistan in 1933.
“With Nawaz Sharif all set to become Pak Prime Minister, the relations between India and Pakistan would now be improved,” said 86-year-old Massa Singh.
“We are so happy that Nawaz Sharif is going to become Prime Minister of Pakistan once again,” said Gian Singh.
Today Jatti Umra village houses no Muslim family. About 10 marla house of businessman Mian Muhammad Sharif now houses a gurdwara which was constructed a few years ago. The relatives of Sharif in the past have visited the village a number of times. During the World Cup Kabaddi organised by the Punjab government, Nawaz Sharif’s brother and then Pakistani Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif was also scheduled to visit the village but could not make it for health reasons. Punjab government has special plans to make Jatti Umra a model village as a gesture to promote confidence-building measures between the two nations.
Festive mood in Nawaz’s ancestral village - Hindustan Times
these villagers even visited lahore to welcome nawaz sharif who was returning from exile…:eek:
nawaz sharif,s ancestral home is now gurudwara..
