Courtesy Pakistan Today

ISLAMABAD: A 14-member delegation of visiting Buddhist monks from Sri Lanka visited several archaeological sites of Gandhara civilisation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and performed religious rituals.

The delegation arrived in Pakistan on Wednesday for a week-long visit aimed at strengthening cultural ties between Islamabad and Colombo based on shared Buddhist heritage.

The guests visited the sites in Taxila, Khanpur, and Takht-i-Bhai and evinced keen interest in the preservation of the sites by the government.

They praised the restoration of the Buddhist religious sites at Bhimala in the Khanpur town of Haripur.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Tourism Zulfi Bukhari, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa tourism secretary, and scholars accompanied the delegation.

The monks were informed about the progress of work on the Buddhist sites in Taxila and Khanpur for the promotion of religious tourism by the government.

Bukhari while talking to reporters on the occasion said the government has a vision to complete the world’s biggest Ghandhara trail by 2022.

The tour has been arranged by the Pakistan High Commission in Colombo to boost religious tourism in Pakistan by showcasing its rich cultural heritage.

The visit is in line with Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision to promote religious tourism, project the country’s historical treasures and strengthen cultural ties, said Ayesha Abu Bakr Fahad, Second Secretary at Pakistan Mission in Colombo.