1947 Partition - Refugee Camp in Punjab, Pakistan

Refugees of 1947 Partition of the Indian subcontinent. Photographed at a refugee camp in Punjab, Pakistan here are young girls, among them some mothers.

Many children were born during the journey. Once in the camps, life did not become easier. Their stay in the camps often varied from a few weeks up to a few years.

Women were among the worst affected victims of Partition. The chaos and displacement made them especially vulnerable. They were molested, tortured and kidnapped. Many of the abducted women were forcefully converted to the abductors' religion, who also often married them against their will. There are several accounts of women and girls giving up their own lives by jumping into wells, preferring that fate than what awaited otherwise.

This image is from the collection of F.E. Chaudhry, the only known local Pakistani photographer who captured the events at the time.