Cultural diplomacy stressed to promote tourism in Gandhara region

HARIPUR: Speakers at a function here on Tuesday called for cultural diplomacy through Foreign Office and embassies to promote tourism in the Gandhara region of the country.

“For more proactive promotion of Gandhara’s religious and cultural significance across the globe, the government should appoint Gandhara experts as cultural attaches in embassies, especially in the Buddhist countries,” said Zafar Iqbal Anjum, a civil servant who recently retired from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while speaking as a guest speaker in the Lok Chaupal, Khanpur.

He stressed the need for more coordination between the government and civil society in promoting Gandhara’s religious and cultural heritage. “Such efforts would create opportunities for international tourists, especially from those countries tied to Buddhism and evincing keen interest in Gandhara culture,” explained the speaker at the session which was moderated by author Abdul Waheed Khan.

Zafar Iqbal Anjum said cultural festivals in Taxila and other cities, exchange programmes, preserving heritage, offering language and cultural education, engaging in art diplomacy, providing tourist support, and supporting local artists could prove helpful in this regard.

He believed that cultural diplomacy based on well-coordinated effort between the Foreign Office, Tourism Ministry and technical departments like Archeology could improve the potential for promotion of tourism in the Gandhara region. The speaker described the role played by Pakistan’s embassies in promoting tourism on a global scale, with a particular emphasis on the promotion of Gandhara tourism.

He shared his experiences within Pakistan’s embassies abroad and delved into how the ambassadors could actively contribute to the global promotion of the rich history and culture of Gandhara, making it instrumental for boosting tourism. Advocating for Gandhara’s religious cultural significance he said the appointment of cultural attachés would provide Pakistan remarkable opportunities of attracting international tourists, especially from Thailand, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Burma, China, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Singapore, and Vietnam that had strong ties to Buddhism and a keen interest in Gandhara culture.

“They can immerse themselves in the rich culture and authentic experiences of the Gandhara civilization, thus enhancing their travel experiences” he pointed out.Ayaz Kiani, the host of the session, highlighted the history of the location situated at “Sirsukh”, the third city of ancient Taxila.

He said the area served as a civilizational junction and a cross road of trade routes and housed premier educational institutions where students flocked from across the world much like the present day universities such as Harvard and Cambridge.