In a move seen as a significant course correction, Pakistan has allowed the installation of a bust of Sikh general Sardar Hari Singh Nalwa at the Kartarpur Corridor Art Gallery, nearly three years after his statue was removed from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Sikh organisations worldwide welcomed the development as a positive step toward acknowledging Sikh history and heritage in the region.
The unveiling took place on February 1 and was announced by Sikhs in America president Gurinder Singh Josan on social media, who called it a “historic moment” and a possible start of renewed recognition for Sikh contributions in areas once part of the Sikh Empire. The project was conceptualised by Gurinder Pal Singh Josan, executed by sculptor Jagdeep Singh Billing, and overseen by chairman Kulwant Singh Deol. Sikh bodies globally praised the initiative, particularly given earlier controversies over Hari Singh Nalwa’s legacy in Pakistan.
Sardar Hari Singh Nalwa (1791–1837) was one of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s most formidable generals. He secured the north-western frontiers of the Khalsa Kingdom, serving as governor of Kashmir, Peshawar and Hazara. Nalwa is credited with halting repeated Afghan invasions and extending Sikh rule to the Khyber Pass for the first time, making him a towering figure in Sikh military and administrative history.
The Kartarpur installation follows a 2022 incident when Pakistan authorities removed an eight-foot metal statue of Hari Singh Nalwa from Siddiqi-i-Akbar Chowk in Haripur district after objections from some religious groups. The removal, shared widely online, drew strong condemnation from Sikh institutions including the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and the Chief Khalsa Diwan, which called it an erasure of history.
