Tourism Punjab Secretary Capt (retd) Mushtaq Ahmad Khan has said the government is committed to protecting and promoting the diverse cultural heritage of Punjab province.
He was speaking at the panel discussion of a five-day Gandhara festival which ended on Saturday. The event was organised by UNESCO under the Punjab Tourism for Economic Growth Project (PTEGP) and the World Bank.
He said the festival is the first-of-its-kind ever to be held at the Taxila Museum. Such events inculcate a sense of ownership and pride in our history within the local community, and project a peaceful image of Pakistan to the world.
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Other speakers included renowned scholar Dr Saifur Rehman Dar, Punjab University Dr Muhammad Hameed from Punjab University and Peshawar Museum Assistant Curator Dr. Zubaida Yousuf.
The session began with a keynote address by Dr Dar who spoke on his topic “Gandhara heritage versus Taxila heritage”. During the discussion, he stressed that Taxila should be given importance as the centre of Gandhara civilisation.
Additionally, Dr. Hameed presented his research on “understanding the diffusion of Buddhist art and iconography towards Central and Eastern Asia through miniature portable shrines from Gandhara”.
The fourth day of the festival showed increased public interest in the exhibition. Dozens of foreign students studying in Pakistan also visited the festival to view the exhibition. They also met the Buddhist monks from Sindh who were staying in Taxila for the event.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 10th, 2021.
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