HARIPUR: Netherlands Ambassador Mr Wouter Plomp has said Pakistan deserves kudos for conserving its cultural and religious archaeological sites.

Talking to mediapersons during a visit to Bhamala Buddhist Complex on Sunday, he added the discovery and conservation of the statue of sleeping Buddha was a proof of it.

Mr Plomp was on a private visit to Khanpur on the invitation of Raja Shahab Sikandar, the grandson of former caretaker chief minister and federal minister late Raja Sikandar Zaman.

Accompanied by his wife Henriette Plomp and other family members, the Dutch envoy was received at the Nikra Bungalow residence of the veteran politician, and was taken to orange orchards and served with special Khanpuri red blood.

The ambassador said Pakistan was a peaceful county having a number of mesmerising tourist sites and valleys with the potential to attract tourists from across the world.

He said Khanpur housed a number of cultural heritage sites of other faiths having international fame, which could help promote tourism in the country.

He appreciated the efforts of Pakistani authorities for conservation of Buddhist sites.

The diplomat had also a round of Bhamala Buddhist Complex and evinced interest in its history and the government’s conservation strategy.

FOREIGN INVESTMENT: Federal energy minister Omar Ayub Khan has said flow of foreign investment to the tune of billions of rupees will help create job opportunities as Japan, China and Gulf countries had started investing in Pakistan.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of different development projects for Khanpur tehsil in Tofkiyan village on Sunday, he said the government was sincere towards providing relief to the people. He said Prime Minister Imran Khan had directed the federal and provincial governments to control price hike and provide subsidy to consumers on different items.

He said the government was giving Rs129 billion and Rs103 billion subsidy to electricity and gas consumers, respectively.

He accused the previous PML-N government of inflicting Rs145 billion loss to the country on account of costly LNG contracts with foreign companies. He said the economy had suffered Rs450 billion loss as the PML-N government failed to revise the electricity tariff for two years.

The federal minister said to address complaints of low voltage in the hilly areas of Khanpur, a number of villages bordering Islamabad had been linked with Iesco. He said work on Khanpur grid station would start soon.

Published in Dawn, March 2nd, 2020