By Uzma Zafar
ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi on Wednesday said Pakistan was home to the Gandhara Buddhist heritage and was a proud custodian of some of the most sacred relics of Buddha.
Talking to a delegation of Sri Lankan Buddhist monks who called on him here at Aiwan-e-Sadr, the president said there existed immense potential for promoting religious tourism from Sri Lanka to Pakistan.
President Alvi said Pakistan highly valued its ties with Sri Lanka as both countries enjoyed excellent relations in various fields which were based on mutual respect and trust. He said Pakistan considered Sri Lanka as special partner and friend and wanted to further improve bilateral cooperation for the mutual benefits of the two friendly countries.
He told the delegation to encourage the monks and people of Sri Lanka to visit the Buddhist religious sites in Pakistan as it had far greater number of Buddhist artefacts than any other country in the world. He added that people-to-people contacts and religious tourism provided excellent platforms to further expand bilateral cooperation.
The President hoped that the delegation would enlighten their followers about Pakistan’s Buddhist heritage and also encourage them to undertake religious tours to Pakistan. The delegation deeply thanked the government of Pakistan for making excellent arrangements to facilitate its visit to Buddhist sites. It also appreciated the measures taken by Pakistan for the renovation and preservation of Buddhist heritage sites.
Earlier, a 14-member delegation comprising senior Buddhist monks from Sri Lanka left for Islamabad on Tuesday after concluding their two-day visit to the provincial metropolis.
Earlier, the delegation, led by Dr Walpole Piyananda, who is the abbot and president of Dharma Vijaya Buddhist Vihara, USA, visited various sections of Badshahi Masjid, Lahore Fort and appreciated the rich heritage of Pakistan.
Dr Piyananda said that Pakistan had always helped Sri Lanka in the hour of need. He said that every religion had given a message of peace and harmony. He hoped that the Pakistan government would take further steps to promote religious tourism and appreciated the efforts of the government in this regard.
He said that Pakistan was a home to the ancient Buddhist civilization, which had remained hidden from the eyes of the world.
The Buddhist monks will visit various Buddhist heritage sites in the country which houses some of the finest remains of the Gandhra civilization and rare Buddhist relics including the ‘Fasting Buddha’ and ‘Sikri Stupa’ dating back to the 2 A.D.
The visit has been arranged by the High Commission of Pakistan Colombo, Sri Lanka with a view to promote religious tourism in Pakistan by showcasing historicity and warm hospitality of the host nation.
The delegation will visit Islamabad, Taxila, Shahbaz Garhi, Takht-e-Bhai and Jehanabad (Swat) and also hold meetings with the officials of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony and meet President Dr Arif Alvi, Prime Minister Imran Khan and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi during their visit.
