Pakistan seeks slice of foreign tourism with ancient Buddhist and Hindu sites, better infrastructure

Sri Lanka's Buddhist monks visit the Bhamala Stupa, a ruined Buddhist stupa and National Heritage Site in Haripur district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, on April 22, 2021. (AFP)
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Updated 21 October 2021
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Pakistan seeks slice of foreign tourism with ancient Buddhist and Hindu sites, better infrastructure

  • Pakistan has treasure-trove of ruins but over the years many have been built over, pilfered or succumbed to the elements
  • KP province is home to many ancient sites, including Buddhist monastery considered among the most imposing relics in Gandhara

PESHAWAR: Officials in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province say Prime Minister Imran Khan’s tweet last week featuring a seventh century Buddhist rock engraving coupled with ongoing efforts by the government to develop infrastructure and improve access to centuries-old sites in the region would have a “huge impact.” 
A cradle of ancient civilizations and crossroads of Greek, Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim cultures, Pakistan has a treasure-trove of ruins. Over the years, however, many have been built over, pilfered by art thieves and locals, or succumbed to the elements. 
But the government of PM Khan, which came into power in 2018, has said it wants to change the fortunes of the tourism industry, devastated by militant violence in the last two decades.
In special focus is Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, home to several ancient sites, including the Takht-i-Bahi monastery, considered among the most imposing relics of Buddhism in all of the Gandhara. In 2019, the provincial government announced a strategy to increase tourism to at least 132 sites of historical and religious importance in the region. The federal government estimates there are more than 1,000 such sites around the country. 
Dr. Abdul Samad, KP director for archaeology and museums, said the PM’s tweet, posted last week, about a rock engraving of the Buddha located in Jahan Abad in Swat was already generating interest from tourists. 


“Many people are asking the exact location of the site and how to go there,” Samad told Arab News. 
Faisal Amin Khan, a member of the provincial assembly from KP’s Dera Ismail Khan district, said the PM personally highlighting historical sites would “boost foreign and local tourism.”
Samad said militants tried to blow up the seventh-century rock carving in Jahan Abad in an attack in 2007 reminiscent of the destruction by the Taliban of ancient Buddha statues carved into a cliff face in Afghanistan in 2001.
“Later, with the help of an Italian archaeological mission, we restored it in its original shape in 2012,” Samad said. “Now, it is the most beautiful and well-preserved site in the province.”




In this undated photo, a seventh century rock carving of the Buddha in Jahan Abad, Swat, Pakistan. (Photo credit: KP Directorate of Archeology and Museums)

Dr. Zakirullah Jan, an archaeologist at the University of Peshawar, agreed, saying the Jahan Abad carving was one of the key Buddhist sites in the region and would help promote religious tourism.
“This particular place in Jahan Abad is thought to be one of the most significant Buddhist areas of the past,” he told Arab News. 
“The way Muslims visit sacred sites in Saudi Arabia, Palestine and other places, followers of other religions come to Pakistan to explore and visit their sacred temples and shrines,” he added. “I think we have unprecedented tourism potential that needs to be promoted.”
Other than the Buddhist rock carving, Samad said the provincial administration was also working to develop infrastructure, such as road networks and tourist facilities, around Kafir Kot, a complex of the ruins of ancient Hindu temples and a fort in Dera Ismail Khan District.
“The Kafirkot temples are among the oldest clusters of Hindu temples in the region that date back to 7th and 8th centuries AD,” he said. “These will definitely play a vital role in improving religious tourism in the Dera Ismail Khan region.”




This undated photo shows the Kafir Kot Temples in Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, in northwestern Pakistan. (Photo credit: KP Directorate of Archeology and Museums)

Legislator Khan said the provincial administration had constructed a road leading up to one of the temples, and there were enough funds to develop a more elaborate infrastructure.
“The construction and structure of the temples depict a very ancient civilization and we will preserve these for our next generation,” Khan said. “We will preserve and protect them irrespective of whether it is a Muslim, Hindu or Gandhara heritage since it is part of the history of the region.”
In 2017, the KP government also unveiled the remains of a 1,700-year-old sleeping Buddha image as part of an initiative to encourage tourism and project religious harmony.
A reflection of the diverse history and culture of the South Asian country, the ancient Buddhist site in Bhamala province was first discovered in 1929. Eighty-eight years on, excavations resumed and the 14-meter-(48-foot)-high Kanjur stone Buddha image was unearthed.
Jan said if authorities developed and preserved such sites, “it will surely boost religious tourism in the country.”

 


Pakistan forms task force against Islamabad protesters as Imran Khan’s party seeks action against ministers

Updated 29 November 2024
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Pakistan forms task force against Islamabad protesters as Imran Khan’s party seeks action against ministers

  • Task force will be headed by the interior minister and will identify those who ‘spread violence’ in the capital
  • PTI’s information secretary shares 12 names, saying the party has evidence they were killed in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday formed a task force to identify and prosecute individuals involved in last week’s protest in Islamabad, as the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) claimed 12 supporters were killed in clashes and demanded police cases against top government ministers.
The PTI protest began on November 24 as the party supporters demanded the release of jailed leader, former premier Imran Khan, who has been incarcerated for over a year.
The government had warned against demonstrations in the federal capital, but protesters gathered in defiance, resulting in a crackdown against them. While PTI accuses the government of using live ammunition to kill and seriously injure demonstrators, officials claim PTI activists fired on security forces, killing five personnel.
The task force, headed by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, was announced as Sharif chaired a high-level security meeting, with Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir in attendance, in Islamabad.
“The task force will ensure those responsible for spreading chaos and violence on November 24 are identified and brought to justice in accordance with the law,” the PM Office said in the statement.
Meanwhile, PTI’s Secretary Information Sheikh Waqas Akram, speaking at a news conference in Peshawar, alleged that the government had indiscriminately targeted protesters, sharing names of 12 individuals the party said were killed.
He said videos and evidence from the protest site near the parliament building in Islamabad corroborated the party claims, adding that the actual death toll could be higher as many were missing or critically injured.
“We strongly demand police complaints be lodged against the prime minister, the interior minister and information minister,” he said. “Without this, public unrest will continue to grow.”
“We urge the judiciary to step forward and ensure these killers are brought to justice,” he added.
The government has also announced plans to create a federal riot control force, saying it would be equipped with international-standard resources and skills to prevent such protests in the future.


Pakistan, China hold joint military drill amid Beijing’s concerns over attacks on nationals

Updated 29 November 2024
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Pakistan, China hold joint military drill amid Beijing’s concerns over attacks on nationals

  • Warrior VIII, which began on November 19, aims to bolster counterterrorism capabilities
  • Pakistan’s army chief interacted with the participants of the exercise and praised their morale

ISLAMABAD: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir on Friday visited the National Counter Terrorism Center (NCTC) in Pabbi, located in the Gujrat division of Punjab province, to observe a joint counterterrorism exercise between the Pakistan Army and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China, said an official statement.
The three-week “Warrior VIII” exercise, which began on November 19, is the eighth iteration of bilateral training aimed at bolstering counterterrorism capabilities and enhancing military cooperation.
The exercise comes as China’s security concerns in Pakistan have grown following a spate of attacks targeting Chinese nationals working on dozens of lucrative projects in the country.
“The COAS was briefed on the scope and conduct of the exercise,” the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said. “He also interacted with the participants of the exercise.”
Thousands of Chinese nationals have been working on the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) for nearly a decade, with several of them being targeted by different militant groups operating in Pakistan.
Earlier this year, in March, a suicide bomber attacked a convoy near Besham in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killing five Chinese engineers. A few months later, in October, a bombing near Karachi airport targeted Chinese workers ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Islamabad.
Beijing has voiced concerns over the safety of its citizens working in Pakistan and has reportedly proposed a joint security mechanism.
However, the foreign office said this month the two countries have a “robust dialogue and cooperation” on a range of issues, including counterterrorism and the security of Chinese nationals in the country.
It also expressed the government’s resolve to work with Chinese authorities to ensure the safety and security of their nationals, as well as their projects and investments.
According to Voice of America, Warrior VIII is the first joint counterterrorism exercise between the two countries in five years.
The ISPR said General Munir also praised the professionalism and high morale of the officers and soldiers participating in the joint military exercise.


European aviation safety agency lifts Pakistan airline ban — minister

Updated 29 November 2024
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European aviation safety agency lifts Pakistan airline ban — minister

  • The development will revive PIA’s flights to Europe, strengthen the government’s privatization drive
  • Pakistan’s Airblue has secured Third Country Operator authorization to fly to European destinations

KARACHI: The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has lifted a ban on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flights after a span of four years, Defense and Aviation Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif announced Friday, commending all the relevant officials who made the breakthrough possible.
The ban on PIA flights was imposed in 2020 after a crash in Karachi killed 97 people, followed by a former Pakistani aviation minister’s statement claiming that nearly 40 percent of local pilots held “dubious” licenses.
This statement raised global concerns about safety oversight, leading to the grounding of PIA’s European operations.
The suspension added to PIA’s financial troubles, as the debt-ridden national carrier continued to incur losses amid its struggle to recover from a tarnished reputation. The government also faced difficulties privatizing the airline, a condition set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) during recent loan negotiations, due to its precarious financial situation.
“It is a momentous day to announce that the European Commission and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has lifted the suspension on PIA flights to Europe,” the aviation minister wrote in a social media post.

He also announced that the decision granted Third Country Operator (TCO) authorization to another Pakistani airline, Airblue, marking a significant development for the aviation sector.
TCO authorization granted by EASA allows non-European airlines to operate commercial flights into, within or out of European Union airspace.
Airblue, Pakistan’s second-largest airline, operates domestic and regional routes and is expected to explore European operations following the TCO authorization.
Responding to the development, PIA lauded the lifting of the ban as a testament to its adherence to international safety standards.
“This milestone ensures that the entire nation can once again travel directly to European destinations with their national airline,” the airline said in a statement, adding it had worked tirelessly over the past four years to meet EASA’s safety requirements.

“The PIA administration will remain fully compliant with EASA and its rules and regulations,” it added.
Asif credited the lifting of the suspension to reforms in Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA), which he said were aimed at aligning the regulator with international standards.
“I am grateful to the European Commission and EASA for conducting a transparent process and our commitment to ensuring aviation safety in Pakistan,” he said in the social media message.
The development is expected to help revive PIA’s European operations and strengthen the government’s privatization efforts by improving the airline’s appeal to potential investors.


Pakistan receives 38,000 Hajj applications in 10 days

Updated 29 November 2024
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Pakistan receives 38,000 Hajj applications in 10 days

  • Total number of applications received so far is 11,000 more than during the corresponding period last year
  • Pakistan has a Hajj quota of 179,210, evenly split between the government and private tour operators

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs said on Friday that 38,000 Hajj applications had been received in the first 10 days of the submission period, 11,000 more than during the same period last year.
The surge comes as Pakistan prepares to send 179,210 pilgrims for the annual Islamic pilgrimage in 2025, under a quota evenly divided between government and private Hajj schemes.
“By the tenth day, 38,000 Hajj applications have been received,” a ministry said in a statement, adding that designated banks would continue accepting applications over the weekend. The final deadline for submissions is Dec. 3.
Pilgrims under the regular Hajj scheme can secure their booking with an initial payment of Rs200,000 ($719), according to the statement.
Pakistan has steadily improved facilities for pilgrims in recent years.
One key initiative is the Makkah Route Initiative, which streamlines immigration processes by enabling pilgrims to complete formalities at their departure airports.
Initially tested in Islamabad in 2019, the program was later expanded to Karachi, benefitting tens of thousands of travelers.
Efforts have also included the launch of a mobile application, Pak Hajj 2025, to provide pilgrims with essential updates, flight details and navigation assistance in Saudi Arabia.
Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, attracts millions of Muslims annually to Makkah, with Pakistan consistently being among the largest contributors of pilgrims.


ICC talks continue on fate of Pakistan Champions Trophy

Updated 29 November 2024
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ICC talks continue on fate of Pakistan Champions Trophy

  • Event’s fate has been hanging in the balance since India declined to visit Pakistan
  • ICC meeting adjourned without a decision but will reconvene ‘in the next few days’

KARACHI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) said talks were continuing to settle uncertainty around next year’s Champions Trophy, sources told AFP, after India refused to travel to host nation Pakistan.
The event’s fate has been hanging in the balance since earlier this month, when the ICC said India had declined to visit Pakistan for the eight-team tournament.
The nuclear-armed neighbors have fought three wars since being carved out of the subcontinent’s partition in 1947 and that rivalry is often reflected on the cricket field.
A meeting by the Dubai-headquartered ICC was held briefly on Friday but adjourned without a decision, according to several sources with knowledge of the talks who were not authorized to speak to media.
“All parties continue to work toward a positive resolution,” said one source, adding that “it is expected that the board will reconvene in the next few days.”
The Pakistan Cricket Board has previously ruled out proposals allowing India to play in a neutral third country, insisting the full schedule from February 19 to March 9 must be staged on their turf.
Another source said the “Pakistani stance remains the same” following Friday’s brief meeting.