CHAKWAL, Dec 21: The government has provided Rs20 million for the preservation of Katas Raj, a historical monument.

This was said by Minister of State for Environment Maj Tahir Iqbal (retired) while speaking at an international seminar, ‘Salt Range is a Heaven of Archeology’ arranged by the organized by Archaeological and Historical Association of Pakistan, on Sunday.

Prof Dr Riaz Ahmed, ambassadors of Azerbaijan and Egypt, the Indian deputy high commissioner and Dr Saad Rana were also present on the occasion.

The minister said the government would take measures to include ‘Bun Amir Khatoon’ in Unesco’s list of international cultural heritage.

He said more than 175 sites had been discovered in the Salt Range area of Chakwal district that were 1,000 to 28 million years old.

A cultural caravan, led by Dr Ghazanfar Mehdi, visited Bun Amir Khatoon and the participants were briefed by the local archeologist Riaz Malik about the fossils.

The caravan also paid a visit to Katas Raj, a holy place of Hindu community, and Bagh Safa at Kallar Kahar that was built by Mughal emperor Zaheeruddin Babar.

Chakwal District Nazim Sardar Ghulam Abbas hosted a farewell reception in honour of the participants of the cultural caravan.

APP ADDS: Minister of State for Culture and Tourism Rais Munir Ahmed said interaction between culture and civilization played a vital role in building the society and promoting peace in the region and the world.

He said this while speaking at a ceremony held at the starting of a cultural caravan to Bun Amir Khatoon and Katas, in Islamabad.

The minister said Pakistan had rich culture heritage tradition and for over a thousand years it remained a hub of various civilizations.

He said this region produced two great civilizations; Indus and Gandhara. He said in the present scenario of the world it had become necessary to promote the culture and civilization for sustainable peace and harmony. He asked foreign diplomats and media to convey the message of peace from this region to the entire world.

Representation in cabinet: Chakwal should be given representation in the Punjab cabinet to solve problems of the district on a priority basis, MPA Syed Taqleed Raza Shah said on Saturday, writes our correspondent from Chakwal.

He said the district was one of the remote areas of the province and in the last 15 years, successive provincial governments had taken special notice of the situation and included representatives of the area in their cabinets.

Mr Shah said the people of Talagang were disappointed as the area had been ignored while tehsil Chakwal was represented in the federal cabinet.