In 1818, Ranjit Singh made an aggressive push against the Durrani's, defeating the Kabul  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vizier -  and Muhammad Azem Khan  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barakzai -  he pushed as far as  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peshawar - , which under the Durrani Governor (and Azem Khans brother)  http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Yar_Muhammad_Khan&action=edit&redlink=1 - accepted his rule and paid tribute as a  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vassal - .

With this victory Ranjit Singh withdrew from the Peshawar valley leaving a small garrison in a newly constructed fort at  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khairabad - , modern day Nowshera.

This was in turn followed by Ranjit Singh's capture of  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kashmir -  in 1819 from Azem Khan's other brother Jabbar Khan.

Angered by his defeats, Azem Khan recaptured Peshawar in 1822, he made a call for  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jihad -  against the Sikhs and hurried to Nowshera where Muhammad Zaman Khan successfully destroyed the bridge at Attock, effectively trapping the Sikh garrisons west of the Indus. However Ranjit Singh had already reinforced his forces in Nowshera including with generals like  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hari_Singh_Nalwa - . These forces successfully repulsed attacks by Pashtun http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghazis -  and Durrani troops at  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jahangira -  and withdrew to Nowshera hoping to link up with Ranjit Singh.

Ranjit Singh by this point had brought up his army to the east of  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hund - , on the opposite bank, a lashkar of thousands of fighters led by Syed Ahmad Shah of Buner had started forming. Despite the odds, Ranjit Singh's forces cross the Indus under fierce attacks. The lashkar then withdrew to Pir Sabak hill where they concetrated their forces and hoped to gain support from the Durrani troops and their artillery under Azem Khan.

Azem Khan for unknown reasons, did not cross the  http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kabul_river&action=edit&redlink=1 -  straight away to link up with the tribesmen. Ranjit Singh realising the situation concentrated his artillery and infantry on the lashkar and left a small detachment under  http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=General_Ventura&action=edit&redlink=1 -  to forestall any crossing by Azem Khan. What proceeded was ferocious hand to hand fights between the Tribal lashkar and the Sikh  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khalsa - . Finally after the fourth attack, led personally by Ranjit Singh and his personal bodyguard themselves the Hill was carried. By the late evening the Lashkar realised that Azem Khan had withdrawn from the battle and abandoned his allies. This coupled with the withering attacks by the Sikh artillery, broke the lashkars resolve and thought willing to rally again under their  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pir -  Ahmad Shah they dispersed in disarray, the Sikh victory was complete.