Dr Vankwani writes to KP CM over Gandhara Corridor bill

ISLAMABAD: PPP Member of National Assembly Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani has penned a letter to Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur, requesting him to remove confusion over his proposed Gandhara Corridor Bill that he submitted as a private member in the National Assembly Secretariat.

“Through different segments of the media, I came to know that my recently presented bill of the Gandhara Corridor in the National Assembly resulted in the development of misunderstanding, confusion, reservations and concerns on your side. No doubt, a large portion of ancient Gandhara remains is located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) and that’s why the ongoing tension and unrest on the subject matter among KP stakeholders is quite understandable,” he said.

Dr Vankwani said this was his stance that Gandhara comprised several historical archeological sites spread across Pakistan, had potential to attract the followers of Dharmic religions of the subcontinent, including Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism. Gandhara should not only be limited to the remains or archeological sites as the Gandhara civilization is actually based on tolerance, harmony and brotherhood among different faiths, communities and segments of human society. “Being a senior parliamentarian with more than two decades of proven struggle in the parliament for the rights of non-Muslim minorities, I myself strongly believe in the supremacy of law within the constitutional framework,” he said adding that the Gandhara Corridor Bill was not at all a part of any conspiracy to snatch or take over the Gandhara Civilization remains in KP. It is in fact to ensure that the provinces receive due facilitation and support from the federal government to promote and market Gandhara for increasing revenue through systematic arrival of international pilgrims via Federal Capital Islamabad. “Please note that the bill aims to connect Pakistan with Buddhist majority countries, such as China, Koreas, Japan, Thailand, Nepal, Sri Lanka, etc,” he said.

He stated that it was worth-mentioning that President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari was the man behind the 18th Amendment Bill, who signed it to empower provinces. “So, it is ironic, baseless and unfair to criticize myself, a minority member of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), for violation of the 18th Amendment which ensures Provincial autonomy,” he stated, adding that the previously presented Gandhara Culture Authority Act 2023 was most probably misunderstood as well, perhaps due to its name, however, the Gandhara Corridor Bill ensured that every stakeholder remained within its defined constitutional framework under the Provincial Autonomy in accordance with the 18th Amendment.

As far as bills related to Indus civilization Mohenjo-daro and Harappa are concerned, he stated that last year while serving as chairman of the Prime Minister’s Taskforce on Gandhara Tourism, he had identified 50 potential Gandhara sites in all provinces, which already included Mohenjo-daro remains and stupas located in Sindh as well. Out of 50 sites, he stated, 38 were related to Buddhism, 10 to Hinduism and two to Jainism. “During my frequent interactions with the international community and diplomats, I have noted that there are thousands of foreign nationals, mostly from Pakistan-friendly Buddhist majority countries, who are interested in visiting Pakistan for the pilgrimage of Gandhara. That’s why, establishing the Gandhara Corridor for encouraging international tourists to visit Pakistan for pilgrimage purposes is a need of time.”

Dr Vankwani said it was very clearly stated in the bill that the revenues generated through the Gandhara Corridor Bill would help strengthen “our national economy, including KP and opening of sub-offices in other places within the country would ensure cordial cooperation among all branches of government in the best interest of Pakistan. “Keeping above in view, I would like to request you to kindly arrange my meeting with all the stakeholders of KP under your leadership at the CM House, Peshawar, on a priority basis to address the reservations that have arisen regarding the Gandhara Bill,”

He said: “I am quite confident that we will remove all kinds of doubts and reservations on the Gandhara Corridor Bill, once we sit at the table. I hope that the KP government would appreciate the sincere contributions of myself as a non-Muslim minority parliamentarian who is tirelessly struggling to explore opportunities for strengthening Pakistan’s economy as well as projecting a positive image of our beloved country, internationally.” He said the proposed Gandhara Corridor would also demonstrate that the state of Pakistan supported non-Muslims to enjoy religious freedom, as guaranteed in the Constitution of Pakistan and international laws. “Let me assure you once again that there would be no interference in the affairs of the provincial government, with a humble request to let us join hands for transforming Gandhara as an international role model for the faith tourism with the active collaboration of federal & all provincial stakeholders.”