Gurdwara in Pakistan Reopens for Worship After 73 Years

Peshawar: A Gurdwara in northwest Pakistan was reopened on Saturday for worship after remaining closed for 73 years following a consensus among Sikh community, local residents and administration at a jirga in Peshawar.

Deputy Commissioner Peshawar Riaz Mehsud, who chaired the jirga, called for a discussion on the reopening of the Gurdwara in Jogiwara area in interior Peshawar, the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.

Advisor to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister on minority affairs Sardar Suran Singh was also in attendance, besides representatives from police and local administration.

The local residents assured the jirga that they did not have any objection over reopening of the Gurdwara if proper arrangements were made for ensuring 'Purdah' system.

Mehsud said a new boundary wall would be constructed around the Gurdwara so that the local population does not face have to any problem from Sikh community during their worship.

The Gurdwara was closed in 1942 after the local population raised objection over lack of proper purdah system around the religious site.