Three-day symposium on Gandhara civilization, Buddhist heritage in Pakistan to commence on Tuesday
ISLAMABAD, Jul 10 (APP): A three-day (July 11-13) Gandhara Symposium 2023 titled “Cultural Diplomacy: Reviving Gandhara Civilization and Buddhist Heritage in Pakistan”, will commence here on Tuesday.
The Symposium was being organized by the PM Task Force on Gandhara Tourism, the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI), and the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Over the next three days, besides the inaugural and concluding sessions, the Gandhara Symposium will have four sessions focused on Gandhara Civilization and Buddhist Heritage in Pakistan; a Round Table; visits to Taxila and Peshawar Museums; and a cultural evening.
President Dr. Arif Alvi will address the Inaugural Session as chief guest, while Dr. Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, the Minister of State, Chairman of the PM Task Force on Gandhara Tourism will be the guest of honour.
The Concluding Session will be addressed by Senator Talha Mahmood, Federal Minister for Religious Affairs & Inter-Faith Harmony, a press release issued by ISSI here on Monday said.
The speakers at the Gandhara Symposium will be from Malaysia, Thailand, South Korea, Nepal, Sri Lanka, China, and Pakistan.
Faith leaders, archaeologists, curators, experts, religious scholars, and academicians will reflect on the richness of Gandhara civilization and the Buddhist Heritage. Prominent stakeholders from Pakistan’s tourism industry will also participate in the Symposium.
The Gandhara civilization flourished in the region which is mostly modern-day Pakistan. Situated at the crossroads of ancient trade routes, Gandhara served as a melting pot of diverse cultures and civilizations.
One of the most remarkable aspects of the Gandhara civilization was its artistic creativity. The re-discovered cities of the Gandhara civilization exhibited many elements of their well-structured and modern lives through paintings, sculptures, coins, pottery and their relation with Buddhism.
Preserving and further promoting the Buddhist Gandhara heritage is of paramount importance for Pakistan. Besides other modes, the digital and social media offer new powerful means for projecting the Buddhist Gandhara heritage in Pakistan to the world.
The sacred sites, sculptures, and artifacts of Gandhara are not just relics from the past; they are also as a source of inspiration for the faithful and tourists from different parts of the world.
One of the key objectives of the Gandhara Symposium will be to create awareness about Gandhara and foster a sense of appreciation for Pakistan’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, both domestically and abroad.
Another important objective of the Gandhara Symposium will also be to consider new initiatives that reinforce Pakistan’s cultural diplomacy efforts and help promote tourism, particularly faith tourism, in Pakistan.
Against this backdrop, the ISSI is proud to partner with the PM Task Force on Gandhara Tourism; the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; and all other relevant departments and institutions in the convening of the Gandhara Symposium 2023, the press release concluded.
Ghanaian HC invites Pakistani industrialists to invest in Ghana
KARACHI, Jul 10 (APP): Ghana’s High Commissioner to Pakistan and Iran, Eric Owusu, on Monday, invited Pakistani investors and industrialists to invest in Ghana for gaining access to the vast African market.
The Ghanaian envoy while addressing to Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI) highlighted the vast potential for industrialisation in his country and said that the government of Ghana was committed to providing favourable conditions for investment in the textile sector.
Ghana was offering various incentives, including tax benefits, to encourage the establishment of industries in the country and the availability of skilled and cost-effective labour further facilitate business ventures, he said.
By setting up industries in Ghana, Pakistani industrialists could gain access to the massive African market comprising 1.4 billion people, he said adding that goods manufactured in Ghana would enjoy duty-free exports worldwide.
President KATI Faraz-ur-Rehman speaking at the occasion affirmed that KATI would play a significant role in assisting the business community to access African markets. He emphasised the importance of the exchange of trade delegations and collaborations between Pakistan and Ghana to enhance bilateral trade.
He suggested organising a dedicated exhibition between the two countries to showcase their respective industries. He also proposed exploring currency swaps and local currency trade between Ghana and Pakistan, considering the development of both nations.
Honorary Consul General of Yemen Ikhtiar Baig urged Pakistani industrialists and investors to leverage Ghana’s African policy, which includes advantages such as affordable land for setting up industries and tax concessions.
Deputy Patron-in-Chief of KATI, Zubair Chhaya, highlighted the friendly relations between Ghana and Pakistan. Highlighting low trade volume between the two nations he stressed the need to increase bilateral trade.
Earlier, KATI President Faraz-ur-Rehman presented a shield to Ghana’s High Commissioner to Pakistan and Iran, Eric Owusu. The event was attended by Nighat Awan, Sheikh Manzar Alam, and others.
Secretary Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly, Abdul Razaq returned the application of No confident motion against the Speaker Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly Nazir Advocate to Opposition Leader Amjad Hussain Advocate at GB Assembly
Green Pakistan Initiative to usher in agri revolution, create four mln jobs: PM
ISLAMABAD, Jul 10 (APP):Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Monday said Green Pakistan Initiative would bring about second agriculture revolution in the country and would create four million jobs.
Addressing a seminar on agriculture and food security here, he said agriculture was backbone of the country and the farmers worked hard to provide food to millions of Pakistani people.
Farmers would be remembered in history as builders of Pakistan, he remarked.
He said incentives for the agriculture sector was the right of farmers and it was responsibility of the government to provide all possible assistance to them. “Farmers work hard but it is common knowledge that they are facing lack of resources.”
The prime minister said growth in the agriculture sector would bring Pakistan at part with the developed countries.
He said progress of Pakistan was inherent in hard work, adding green revolution in the 1960s was due to introduction of new varieties of seed, building of dams and canals and modern agriculture practices.
He said farmers should get more profits than the cost of production of their crops including wheat. The government increased the support price of wheat which led to record production of the commodity, he mentioned.
He was hopeful that due to the incentives given by the government, production of cotton would also rise.
He said it was responsibility of the government to provide better seeds, fertilizers and pesticides to the farmers and equip them with latest technology.
Shehbaz Sharif appreciated the new agriculture initiative for giving real time information about attacks of pests. He showed concern over the adulterated drugs given to the farmers and warned of action against the culprits.
He praised the vision of army chief Syed Asim Munir for development of agriculture sector. “We have to implement the vision for agriculture through collaboration among federal and provincial governments, agriculture departments and research institutes.”
He said the government was ready to fund the agriculture research centers, adding unfortunately research centers were not doing any worthwhile work and fell victim to the culture of favouritism.
Shehbaz said state owned enterprises were losing Rs 600 billion every year and bleeding the economy. Pakistan imported $ 4.5 billion of palm oil which was a burden on the national economy, he noted.
There was a time when Pakistan was producing more cotton than its neighbouring country but then it lost track and was now producing less of staple crops, he said adding Pakistan could not afford more foreign loans but was forced to save its economy from default by getting loans from friendly countries, he added.
The PM said gulf countries were ready to invest in the agriculture sector and bring modern machinery to boost crops production.
Pakistan needed political stability to attract investment as in an unstable environment investors shy away, he asserted.
Pakistan could attract investment of $ 40 to 50 billion in the coming years and it could make food exports to the gulf countries which were presently importing food products worth $ 40 billion. He was of the view that Pakistan had to compete with the world and increase its exports and the economy of Pakistan would get revived in the coming two years. “It is demand of our national security that the country’s food security and economic security should be strengthened,” he added.
Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir attended the seminar as guest of honour.
He also addressed the participants and assured the people of Pakistan and the government, army’s full support for all the initiatives being initiated under the ambit of Special Facilitation Investment Council (SFIC) including Green Pakistan Initiative.
The seminar was attended by federal ministers, chief ministers of Punjab and Sindh province, chief secretaries of provincial governments, agricultural experts and farmers from all the provinces.
Foreign dignitaries and potential investors and experts from United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, China, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and various other countries also attended the seminar.
Sequel to the inauguration of Land Information Management System – Centre of Excellence (LIMS – COE), Green Pakistan initiative is being undertaken to enhance the food security of Pakistan, increase exports and reduce the agriculture related imports, thereby, contributing towards national economy.
Agriculture experts and farmers highly appreciated the government’s landmark initiative and Pakistan army’s special focus on revolutionizing the agriculture sector by promoting modern contemporary technology, collaboration of public and private sectors and trickling down dividends to the local farmers to alleviate poverty.
The participants hailed the conduct of seminar and its attendance by experts, government representatives and potential investors as a success and first step towards bringing positive change in the agriculture and livestock sectors.
The attendees especially lauded the Pakistan army’s efforts in boosting the national economy by focusing on this critical sector. Later the prime minister visited the agriculture and livestock exhibition as well.
JUI-F Amir Maulana Fazl calls on PM to discuss political situation
ISLAMABAD, July 10 (APP): Amir of Jammiat-e-Ulema Islam (JUI-F) Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Monday called on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif to hold consultations over the current political situation of the country.
During the meeting, Minister for Communications Maulana Asad Mahmood was also present, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.
Both leaders of JUI-F appreciated the firm reaction and steps of the government and prime minister with regard to the highly condemnable act of desecration of the Holy Quran in Sweden.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman termed the incident in Sweden as highly regretful and lauded the prime minister and the government of Pakistan for a narrative in this regard.
He also lauded the efforts of the coalition government under the leadership of the prime minister to steer the country out of the economic difficulties and put it on the path of prosperity.
The prime minister also appreciated the role of the coalition partners in the government and said that without their cooperation, taking the country out of its economic woes and reaching an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), were not possible.
He praised JUI-F amir for standing with the government in taking the difficult decisions.