Indo-Pak Friendship: Lahore School Bridges Partition Divide

A classroom at Lahore's historic Aitchison College, founded in 1886, now serves as a powerful symbol of connection between India and Pakistan. Classroom No. 108 was recently dedicated to Harcharan Singh Brar, a pre-Partition student who later served as Chief Minister of Punjab. This tribute was made possible by his schoolmate and enduring friend, Syed Babar Ali, believed to be the institution's oldest living alumnus.

Their profound friendship, established in undivided Punjab, persevered through Partition, wars, and decades of strained relations until Brar's passing in 2009. Ali's gesture is part of a larger remembrance project funding classrooms and plaques for former classmates and teachers from the 1934-1943 era. This initiative aims to recall a shared past before history separated communities across borders.

This effort aligns with Lahore's broader movement to reclaim its pre-Partition heritage, including restoring historic neighborhood names. Descendants of former students emphasize Aitchison's role in fostering leadership and preserving stories of a time when Hindu, Sikh, and Muslim boys studied together. Many alumni left in 1947 and never returned, making these commemorations a poignant reminder of a lost era.