72-year after Partition, Pakistan opens 19th century Gurdwara

Pakistan has thrown open the historic 19th century old Gurdwara Chowa Sahib in Punjab province for pilgrims, seventy two years after Partition.

Gurdwara Chowa Sahib located at the northern edge of the Rohtas Fort near Punjab`s Jhelum City was opened for public on Friday. This comes in the run up to the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev in November.

Commissioned by Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the Gurdwara was constructed in 1834.

"A multi-million project will be initiated by the federal government for restoration of the gurdwara situated in Rohtas Fort near Jhelum," Express Tribune quoted Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETBP) Secretary Shrines Imran Gondal as saying.

This comes days after the Pakistan government reopened 1,000 year old Shawala Teja Singh Temple located in Pakistan`s Sialkot. 

In a similar development, a 500-year-old Gurdwara in Sialkot recently opened its doors for Indian Sikh pilgrims.

While the Gurdwara earlier remained open for pilgrims from Pakistan, as well as Europe, Canada, and the United States, the Indian pilgrims were not allowed to visit the holy place.