179th death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh observed in Pak

For the first time in the history of Pakistan, the 179th death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh, the leader of the Sikh Empire, was observed at the historic Balahisar Fort here.

The anniversary last evening was largely attended by the members of the Sikh community at the fort, which now serves as the headquarters of Frontier Corps (FC) Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Singh was born in Gujranwala, undivided India, on November 13, 1780 and died on June 27, 1839 in Lahore.

Special prayers were offered for peace in Pakistan on the occasion.

Sikh leader Gorpal Singh said that special permission was sought from Inspector General of the FC for observing the anniversary in the fort premises.

Earlier, the anniversary was used to be observed in Mohallah Jogan Shah's Gurdwara in the interior Peshawar City.

The speakers on the occasion threw light on various aspects of life of Singh who, they said, was equally regarded and respected by people of other faith and religion.

His services for the cause of Gurdwaras was also remembered on the occasion.

Bala Hissar also spelt Bala Hisar is a historic fort located in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It was used as a royal residence for the Durrani Empire, and was renovated during the Sikh Empire.

Singh was the leader of the Sikh Empire, which ruled the northwest Indian subcontinent in the early half of the 19th century. He survived smallpox in infancy but lost sight in his left eye.