ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has several Buddhist heritage sites which is why local communities living in their vicinities must be involved in their protection for promotion of sustainable tourism, managing director of the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) Aftabur Rahman Rana said on Tuesday.

He was chairing a two-day international conference organised to highlight the potential for religious tourism titled ‘Pakistan: History, Archaeology, Art and Architecture’.

“There is also a need to create a self-financing mechanism through tourism promotion to better protect and manage the heritage sites of Buddhism which have potential for attracting religious tourism,” he added.

The conference has been organised by the Silk Road Centre, International Institute of Central Asian Studies, Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad and Taxila Institute of Asian Civilisations with the support of PTDC, Serena and other organisations.

Both in-person and online panel sessions were part of the programme and presentations by panellists were followed by questions and answers. Together with research presentations, an exhibition featuring Gandharan art and craft items was held. Local and international artists presented the beauty of Buddhist art through their artworks and visual stories.

Published in Dawn, March 16th, 2022