Pakistan has approved and installed a bust of Sikh general Sardar Hari Singh Nalwa at the Kartarpur Corridor Art Gallery, a move described by observers as a significant course correction nearly three years after the removal of his statue in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Sikh organisations worldwide welcomed the development as a step toward acknowledging Sikh history and heritage in the region.
The bust was unveiled on February 1 and announced on social media by Gurinder Singh Josan, president of Sikhs in America, who described the moment as historic and a possible start of renewed recognition for Sikh contributions in territories once part of the Sikh Empire. The project was conceived by Gurinder Pal Singh Josan, sculpted by Jagdeep Singh Billing, and overseen by chairman Kulwant Singh Deol. Sikh bodies around the world praised the initiative, particularly given earlier controversies over Nalwa’s legacy in Pakistan.
Sardar Hari Singh Nalwa (1791–1837) was one of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s most prominent generals. He served as governor of Kashmir, Peshawar and Hazara, secured the Khalsa Kingdom’s north‑western frontiers, repelled repeated Afghan invasions and extended Sikh rule to the Khyber Pass, earning a notable place in Sikh military and administrative history.
The Kartarpur installation follows a 2022 incident in which Pakistani 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. That removal drew strong criticism from Sikh institutions, including the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and the Chief Khalsa Diwan, which called it an erasure of history.
