Pakistan offers ‘huge potential’ for Gandhara tourism

President Dr Arif Alvi on Tuesday said Pakistan offered the world a valuable window to Gandhara civilisation with its unique blend of ancient history, and the Buddha’s message of peace and compassion.

“In today’s world where hatred is on the rise and increasing polarisation is fuelling conflicts, it’s time to rediscover the role of cultural diplomacy to promote dialogue among civilisations,” he said in his address here at the three-day Gandhara Symposium 2023.

The symposium titled ‘Cultural Diplomacy: Reviving Gandhara Civilisation and Buddhist Heritage in Pakistan’ was organised by Prime Minister’s Task Force on Gandhara Tourism, Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI), and the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, government of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

The event gathered monks and interfaith experts from Sri Lanka, Nepal, Thailand, China, Malaysia, South Korea and Vietnam with an objective to explore Pakistan’s rich Buddhist legacy and create an enabling environment for Gandhara tourism.

President Alvi said Buddha’s quest rekindles the spirit of inner reflection with a precept to abstain from taking lives of the living beings and caring for the environment.

He highlighted that the Gandhara civilisation, which thrived in Pakistan centuries ago, could serve as an informative place for the visitors from across the globe to explore exquisite Buddhist sites.

He urged collaborative efforts to raise awareness about the inclusive and multicultural nature of Gandhara civilisation and help the society to absorb diversity of cultures.

The president welcomed the Buddhist monks in the country, hoping that their presence would relay a message of peace and cross-cultural harmony.

Minister of State, Chairman of the PM Task Force on Gandhara Tourism Ramesh Kumar Vankwani said the Gandhara civilisation continues to mesmerise from all over the world, emphasising the need to preserve and revive the historic Buddhist relics.

He said cultural diplomacy helped foster understanding and tradition among civilisations, expressing confidence that the symposium would act as an effective platform in promoting Pakistan’s heritage.

Later, during Session I of the Gandhara Symposium on the theme ‘Pathways to Peace: Exploring Pakistan’s Rich Buddhist Legacy, the speakers including religious scholars and faith leaders from Malaysia, Thailand, South Korea, Nepal, Sri Lanka and China highlighted that Gandhara has been a major centre for Buddhist learning and education and recommended preserving the Buddhist Gandhara heritage in Pakistan as well as continued efforts for its projection as part of world heritage.

Session II discussed ‘Gandhara Civilisation: Celebrating Pakistan’s Buddhist Heritage’. The presenters comprised experts, faith leaders and religious scholars who emphasised that Buddhist Gandhara heritage is paramount to Pakistan. Pakistan is blessed with rich culture and is a hub of civilisations.

Session III delved into ways of ‘Promoting Tourism: Creating an Enabling Environment’. Experts from Pakistan’s tourism industry and think-tanks were invited as speakers.

Lastly, a panel of religious experts, academics, curators, faith leaders and other stakeholders gathered for a Round Table on ‘Gandhara Civilisation: Opportunities and Challenges’. The points stressed during the round table included: Pakistan is a safe place for tourism, and this symposium conveys the requisite message aptly. Pakistan is going to start Gandhara Tourism, and it is ready to collaborate with other countries to enhance B2B and P2P exchanges.

The round table concluded that the lack of security structure, deficits in awareness and marketing, needed funds for preservation and restoration, unsupervised hotels, underdeveloped roads, tourist safety, and lack of modern tourism infrastructure are a few of the challenges.

(WITH INPUT FROM APP)