TAKHT BHAI, Pakistan: The government of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) has devised a multi-pronged strategy to revive and refurbish the vibrant tourism sector in the province to preserve the sacred Buddhist sites and other historic monuments of the British era.
The initiative is aimed at attracting national and international tourists and multiply businesses to the province’s tribal areas, a senior official said.
Nisar Muhammad, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) for KP’s minister for tourism, archaeology, sports, culture, and youth affairs, told Arab News that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government estimates the presence of more than 1,000 sites of historical and religious importance, with 132 sites situated in the newly-merged Khyber tribal district alone.
“In a bid to promote religious tourism in KP and war-ravaged erstwhile FATA region, there are many Buddhist sacred places which the followers of the religion want to visit. We have written letters to embassies of seven countries including China, Japan, and Korea about the KP government’s plans to preserve the Buddhist sites to promote religious tourism here,” he said.
Muhammad Zaman, a resident of Takht Bhai, said hundreds of people visit the Buddhist sites on a weekly basis, adding that the government should take measures to rebuild the roads and structures in the larger interest of the country and minorities.
Takht Bhai — part of the World Heritage List — is one of the world’s most renowned and well-structured Buddhist monasteries. It is located almost 500 feet atop a small mountain, with a range of up to two kilometers, toward the east of Takht Bhai bazaar in the KP province.
Known as the heart of the Gandhara civilization, it attracts tourists, historians, and archaeologists from across the country but its preservation would attract Buddhists from across the world, Zaman said.
Founded in the early first century, the Takht Bhai Buddhist monastic complex (Throne of Origins) has survived successive invasions and is well preserved due to its location on top of the high hill.
A number of locals say that the Buddhist complex and the surrounding village are widely believed to be named after two wells which were found on top of the hill near the complex.
Takht — which basically means throne and bhai which means water in Persian — was named after the spring located on the left side of the Buddhist site, Sher Nawaz, another local, added.
Muhammad said that the top administrators in every district of the province have been instructed to identify historical places in their respective areas which would help pave way for a fresh survey of the places, adding that 20 more tourist spots would be identified in the next four years.
Nawaz Uddin, a research officer at the KP archaeology department, said that the provincial government is striving to initiate some work on preserving the historical sites but full-fledged work would begin once the budget for the purpose is allocated in the tribal districts.
“KP has over 6,000 historical sites, with some of them have sacred places of ancient religions but we have no scientific survey of the erstwhile FATA region. Only one district of tribal areas known as Khyber tribal district has 132 sites,” he added.
Professor Jamil Yousafzai, an archaeologist in KP, stressed that the preservation of historical sites — primarily those holding religious importance — would bolster the image of the country and lure investments as well.
“The KP government has taken a brilliant step to preserve the sites of Buddhism and other minorities. This depicts that our soil is rich and has the credit of being a cradle of world religion,” he observed.
The areas of Swat, Bunner, Swabi, Takht Bhai, Khyber tribal district, and other parts of the province and tribal regions are rich in historical sites.
Mehrab Afridi, a local from the Khyber tribal district, recalled how the decade-old wave of insurgency severely impacted the tourism sector of the province, driving tourists away from visiting the area.
“As militancy has now been banished in the wake of successive military operations, the rich tourism sector is again on a take-off position. People start visiting Buddhist-period archaeological sites in Swat, Landi Kotal, Jamrud in Khyber tribal district and other areas, which have multiplied businesses,” Afridi said.
He said that the main Stupa in Landi Kotal of the Khyber tribal district is being frequented by visitors on a daily basis. However, the sites need restoration work which would help develop the war-torn region.
Atif Khan, KP minister for tourism, archaeology, sports and culture — during his maiden visit to the newly-merged tribal district of Khyber — had pledged that a Safari train till Torkham border would be launched again which would generate employment opportunities for the locals, too.
He told media that KP has more than 1,000 sacred Buddhist sites of which 100 of them are located in the Khyber tribal district.
Muhammad said that the KP government has formally requested the central government to help the province launch the Safari train from Peshawar all the way to the Torkham border with Afghanistan.
Nawaz Uddin said preserving archaeological and historical sites should not be looked at from a financial point of view. Rather, it is an exercise to work toward preserving the country’s national heritage which depicts the rich history of Pakistan.
“We can attract foreign tourists as the newly-merged districts have a large number of sacred sites of Buddhism. The area can be turned into a religious tourism spot,” he added.
Pakistan to begin restoration work of sacred Buddhist sites, British-era monuments in KP
Pakistan to begin restoration work of sacred Buddhist sites, British-era monuments in KP
- Measures are part of province’s initiative to revive vibrant tourism sector
- Is home to more than 1,000 sites of historic and religious significance
Pakistan sends delegation to Saudi Arabia following PM Sharif’s high-profile visit
- Saudi Arabia has pledged to invest $2.8 billion in Pakistan to ensure sustainable economic growth
- PM urges his team to take maximum benefit from the fruits of Pakistan’s ongoing economic diplomacy
ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani delegation departed for Saudi Arabia after recent high-level talks between the two countries, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Tuesday, as he highlighted the gains of his administration’s economic diplomacy during the federal cabinet meeting.
Pakistan has grappled with a prolonged economic crisis in recent years, addressing it through external financing from allies like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and China, along with support from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
To secure sustainable economic growth, the country has sought trade and investment partnerships, with Sharif visiting Saudi Arabia and Qatar earlier this month to discuss collaborative opportunities across multiple sectors.
During these talks, Saudi Arabia pledged $2.8 billion through 34 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) and agreements on the sidelines of the Future Investment Initiative conference. Pakistan is now focused on implementing these initiatives, with five projects already underway.
“Our delegation has left for Saudi Arabia,” Sharif told cabinet members. “My visit and meeting with the crown prince [Mohammed bin Salman] went well, with positive intent for Pakistan.”
Sharif highlighted potential collaboration in mines, minerals and solar energy, while noting a demand for Pakistani information technology experts in Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
“I hope the [IT] ministry can prepare a plan [to capitalize on that],” he said.
The prime minister stressed the need to develop a highly skilled workforce to meet global standards while pointing out it was essential to “rapidly move forward” on MoU implementation with other countries.
He also mentioned $2 billion in MoUs with Azerbaijan, saying Baku had expressed readiness to proceed with these initiatives.
“These are good signals, and it’s up to us now to maximize their benefits,” he added.
Iranian FM on Islamabad visit, says Tehran reserves right to ‘legitimate defense’ against Israel
- Araghchi is in Pakistan on a two-day visit to discuss Middle East tensions, bilateral ties
- Decries Israel’s “acts of genocide” in Gaza, ongoing attacks in Lebanon, assault on Iran on Oct. 26
ISLAMABAD: Iranian foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi arrived in Pakistan’s capital on Tuesday for a two-day official visit to discuss a range of issues, including tensions in the Middle East, saying at a press conference that Tehran reserved the right to a “legitimate defense” against Israeli aggressions though it did not seek escalation.
Araghchi was addressing a joint media briefing with Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in which he spoke about Israel’s “crimes and acts of genocide” in Gaza, its ongoing attacks in Lebanon and its assault on Iran on Oct. 26.
Iran’s supreme leader on Saturday threatened Israel and the US with “a crushing response” over attacks on Iran and its allies. Any further attacks from either side could engulf the wider Middle East, already teetering over Israel’s assault of the Gaza Strip and its ground invasion of Lebanon, into a wider regional conflict as the US goes into a presidential election today, Tuesday.
“Unlike the Israeli regime, the Islamic Republic of Iran does not seek escalation,” Araghchi told reporters. “However, we reserve our inherent right to legitimate defense under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter and we would certainly respond to the Israeli aggression in a proper time and in a proper manner.”
Since the deadliest attack by Hamas in its history on Oct. 7, 2023, Israel has carried out air and ground strikes in Gaza in which over 42,000 people have been killed. Since late September, it has also been at war with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Both Hezbollah and Hamas are allies of Iran.
Pakistan, a major ally of Saudi Arabia, shares a long border with Iran but ties have been frosty over a range of issues, including cross-border militancy.
During Tuesday’s press conference, the Iranian foreign minister appreciated Pakistan’s stance in condemning Israeli aggression against Iran.
“We [Muslim nations] are working toward a solution to stop these atrocities and to alleviate the suffering of the people of Gaza and Lebanon at the upcoming OIC meeting, especially as winter approaches, which will only intensify the hardships of the homeless and refugees in Gaza and Lebanon,” Araghchi added.
Saudi Arabia will also host a joint Arab-Islamic summit on Nov. 11 to address Israeli assaults in the Palestinian territories and Lebanon.
PAK-IRAN TIES
Speaking about bilateral relations, Araghchi reiterated Iran’s commitment to the promotion of ties with Pakistan in all areas, including economic, political, academic, cultural, and tourism.
“The objective of this round of consultation is the promotion of the all-out relations between Iran and Pakistan with a new focus on the bilateral relations, particularly in the areas of trade and economy,” he added.
Speaking at the media briefing, Pakistani FM Dar said during his meetings with Araghchi, he had emphasized the need for an “urgent” ceasefire, de-escalation, and dialogue aimed at realizing the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination.
“We also resolved that in the upcoming joint Islamic summit in Jeddah, which has been scheduled for the 11th of November, we would pool our efforts in order to make sure that we come up with a joint approach to the issues for which this joint summit has been called,” Dar said.
Dar said both sides had also discussed ways to enhance cooperation across several key areas, including trade, energy, and border security.
“We agreed to intensify collaboration on border management and address shared challenges as we underscored that terrorism and extremism pose a serious threat to the regional peace and pledged to coordinate our joint efforts to eradicate these challenges,” he added.
Pakistan and Iran have had a rocky relationship despite several commercial pacts between the two countries on trade, energy, and security. Both countries signed the $7 billion Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project agreement in 2004 but 20 years on, the project remains incomplete due to funding challenges and threats of US sanctions over doing business with Tehran.
Iran has completed the pipeline’s construction on its side of the border while Pakistan is seeking a US waiver to go ahead with building the project. Pakistan has also hired two prominent US law firms, Willkie Farr & Gallagher and White & Case, to defend its position in an international arbitration case initiated by Tehran over the stalled gas pipeline project, the attorney general confirmed to Arab News on Monday.
Pakistan and Iran are also often at odds over instability on their shared, porous frontier, with both countries routinely trading blame for not doing enough against militants who carry out cross-border attacks.
Tensions surged in January when Pakistan and Iran exchanged airstrikes, both claiming to target alleged militant hideouts in each other’s countries.
Pakistani mechanic fulfills childhood dream of building, flying homemade paraglider
- Muhammad Ashraf completed first successful flight in Balochistan’s Bostan town on Oct. 28, reaching 300 feet
- Ashraf modified 1000cc motor vehicle engine into functional paragliding engine, sourced local materials and parts
BOSTAN, Balochistan: Muhammad Ashraf, a 28-year-old motor vehicle mechanic in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, was barely a teenager when he had to quit school to help his ailing father support their family.
While Ashraf went on to become a successful technician and set up his own workshop in the rugged town of Kuchlak in the impoverished Balochistan province, his real dream was different: to build a paraglider and fly high in the skies.
In 2021, the mechanic workshop owner got to work making a fan-powered, three-wheel paramotor. He watched paragliding videos on Facebook and YouTube and eventually contacted some fellow mechanics in the provincial capital of Quetta to help him find the required engine and parts.
“I started my work by watching online videos. I didn’t learn from anyone, neither do I have enough education for anyone to teach me, nor is there any such system in our country,” Ashraf told Arab News in an interview this week ahead of a flight of his paraglider.
“I bought an old engine. I opened it and rebuilt it again myself. Once I was fully confident about the engine, I installed it,” he added. “The advantage of the Cultus [compact car] engine is that it’s lightweight yet powerful, with a 1,000cc capacity.”
Other than the car engine, Ashraf used local materials and parts to build the paramotor, spending $5,776 on the project. With a large iron rod hanging in the front to control the movement of the wings and two right-left pedals as the accelerator and brake, Ashraf’s paramotor can fly for half an hour on almost 20 liters of gasoline.
“It was too costly for me to purchase an imported engine and other parts for my paramotor from abroad, hence I used local iron and parts ordered from Lahore, Karachi and Quetta. I used local wood and trimmed it into wings for my paramotor.”
“ACHIEVEMENT FOR PEOPLE OF BALOCHISTAN”
Paragliding is a lucrative business in Pakistan’s picturesque northern areas, annually frequented by hundreds of thousands of tourists. But most people are unfamiliar with paragliding in remote, arid Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province by area but its most poor and underdeveloped.
Ashraf says he is the first person who has built his own paramotor in the province, completing its first successful flight on Oct. 28 in Killi Qasim, a village in his hometown of Bostan in Pishin district.
“I was quite nervous before taking out my two-seater paraglider for the first flight, but I flew for three minutes and went up to 300 feet in the sky,” he recalled. “My family, friends and other people in my village were very happy when I touched the paraglider down on the ground.”
Muhammad Azam Bazai, a union councilor in Bostan, described Ashraf’s locally made paramotor as an “achievement for the people of Balochistan” and requested the provincial government to support him in building paragliding tourism in the province.
“We were initially mocking him, saying we didn’t believe his aircraft would ever fly or get off the ground,” Bazai said. “But when he flew the paraglider, I was so happy that I can’t even express the joy.”
Shahid Rind, a spokesman for the Balochistan government, said the government would look into the viability of Ashraf’s project.
“In the past, the government has promoted such initiatives and positive steps taken by the youth of Balochistan,” he told Arab News. “And if there is any professional or commercial viability in this, the government of Balochistan will definitely support this individual.”
Having successfully built his flying machine, Ashraf now wants to upgrade it to a three-seater with a more powerful engine, and also aspires to build more paramotors for flying enthusiasts in Balochistan.
“I will try to teach people who want to learn how to make and fly it,” the mechanic said as he climbed into his paraglider, readying for flight.
“Whoever is interested in learning in Balochistan, I am here to help.”
Pakistan to host England, New Zealand and Zimbabwe women's cricket teams in 2026/27
- Zimbabwe to tour Pakistan in Apri-May 2025, New Zealand to tour country in April 2027
- Pakistan will travel to South Africa, Sri Lanka and the West Indies in 2026 for cricket contests
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will host New Zealand, Zimbabwe and England women’s cricket teams for the first time in 2026 and 2027, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said this week, saying that the tours were part of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Future Tours Programme 2025-29.
Zimbabwe women’s team will tour Pakistan in April-May 2026 while New Zealand will be visiting the country in April 2027, the PCB said in a statement. The English women’s cricket team will tour Pakistan in October 2027 while Bangladesh will be the fourth side to tour the country in October 2028.
“Pakistan will host England, New Zealand and Zimbabwe women’s cricket teams for the first time as ICC announced Future Tours Programme 2025-29,” the PCB said in a press release on Monday.
Eleven countries will participate in the fourth cycle of the ICC Women’s Championship being played from 2026-29 to directly qualify for the ICC Women’s 50-over World Cup in 2029, it said, adding that each team will compete against eight other teams in eight home and away matches.
The fourth cycle of the ICC Women’s Championship, which will be played from 2026-29, will see 11 sides taking part in the event for direct qualification to the ICC Women’s 50-over World Cup in 2029.
In the Women’s Championship, each team will compete against eight other teams, following the format of four home and four away series, similar to the current edition. Across 44 series, a total of 132 ODIs will be played, with each series consisting of three matches.
“The Future Tour Programme will see an ICC Women’s tournament taking place every year, starting with the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 in India, the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 in England, the inaugural ICC Women’s Champions Trophy in 2027 and the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2028,” the PCB added.
Pakistan will travel to South Africa in February 2026 and then play Sri Lanka in July of the same year as part of their away assignments, the board said. In November 2026, Pakistan will visit the West Indies while their final away series in the ICC Women’s Championship 2026-29 cycle will be in Ireland in June 2028.
Saudi Arabia, UAE invest $26.8 million in Pakistan in first quarter of current fiscal year
- Foreign investment surged by 48 percent in first quarter of current fiscal year
- Pakistan, Saudi Arabia signed agreements worth $2.8 billion last month
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign investment has surged by 48 percent during the first quarter of the current fiscal year, state-run media reported on Tuesday, with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) contributing $26.8 million during the same period.
Pakistan formed the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), a hybrid civil and military body, in 2023 to fast-track decisions related to foreign investment in its key economic sectors such as agriculture, mining, minerals, tourism and others. The development took place as Pakistan grappled with a prolonged economic crisis that almost led the country to suffer a sovereign default before a critical $3 billion bailout by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) last year averted the crisis.
As per a breakdown shared by state broadcaster Radio Pakistan, China invested $404 million during the first quarter of the current fiscal year while Saudi Arabia’s investment was recorded at $ 1.8 million. The UAE, meanwhile, invested $25 million, Hong Kong $98 million, the United Kingdom $72 million and the United States $28 million in the same period, the state broadcaster said.
“A significant increase of forty eight percent has been seen in foreign investment in Pakistan in the first quarter of current fiscal year, reflecting the effective strategies of the Special Investment Facilitation Council,” Radio Pakistan said.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited Saudi Arabia and Qatar last week, where he held talks with the leadership of the two countries on enhancing cooperation in trade, investment and energy. Pakistani and Saudi businesses had signed 27 agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) worth $2.2 billion in October. During Sharif’s visit to the kingdom last week, the two countries agreed to enhance that figure to $2.8 billion.
Meanwhile, the UAE is Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner after China and the United States. It is also an ideal export destination for the South Asian nation as the short distance between the two countries limits transportation costs and facilitates commercial exchanges.
Sharif has actively pursued economic diplomacy in the region in recent months, seeking more investments and enhancing trade and regional connectivity for Pakistan. The South Asian country has sought to leverage its position as a transit and trade hub connecting landlocked Central Asian countries with the rest of the world and also pushed for mutually beneficial economic partnerships with Gulf countries.
