“Gandhara Symposium: Cultural Diplomacy: Reviving Gandhara Civilization and Buddhist Heritage in Pakistan,”

Prime Minister Task Force on Gandhara Tourism; the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISS); and Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa convened the Gandhara Symposium titled “Cultural Diplomacy: Reviving Gandhara Civilization and Buddhist Heritage in Pakistan” in Islamabad.

The Inaugural Session, held on July 11, 2023, was attended by the President of Pakistan, His Excellency Dr. Arif Alvi, as a Chief Guest, where he addressed the audience. Dr. Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, Minister of State, Chairman of the Prime Minister Task Force on Gandhara Tourism, was the Guest of Honor.

In his address, the President of Pakistan lauded the initiative and reminded the audience that the Gandhara Civilization held immense importance for the Pakistani nation, representing a powerful dimension of our rich cultural heritage. The President emphasised that in today’s world, where hatred is on the rise and increasing polarization is fuelling conflicts, it’s time to rediscover the role of cultural diplomacy to promote dialogue among civilizations. He stressed that cultural diplomacy holds enormous potential to strengthen global ties. The journey to revive the glorious Gandhara Civilization and Buddhist heritage in Pakistan is thus vital in this regard. The President believed Gandhara was a learning centre that attracted intellectual discourse, and its cosmopolitan nature and cultural fusion fostered an environment of tolerance and harmony. He accentuated that reinventing humankind towards peace and harmony is the biggest challenge today. To address this, the President recommended that the message of peace from religions is the most important one that the world needs today. The movement to end violence in the world is perhaps the most important today. It can emanate in the form of a message of peace from Buddha.

Dr. Ramesh Kumar Vankwani stressed that the revival of the Gandhara civilization is a dream that necessities the encouragement of all stakeholders. This Symposium symbolises a commitment to the revival of Gandhara civilization and Pakistan’s rich Buddhist heritage. He stated that the soft power of cultures needs to be capitalised on. In this regard, collaboration within the country among all stakeholders as well as cooperation from other countries is vital. Gandhara tourism, he quoted, has the potential to draw five lack people to Pakistan that can bring about 1.5 billion USD in revenue in its first year, followed by 3 billion USD and 6 billion USD per year. He also spoke about his plan to promote tourism in Pakistan by giving new breath to the great legacy of Gandhara. This will also help in improving the prosperous and peaceful image of Pakistan.

Session I of the Gandhara Symposium was on the theme ‘Pathways to Peace: Exploring Pakistan’s Rich Buddhist Legacy.’ The speakers were religious scholars and faith leaders from Malaysia, Thailand, South Korea, Nepal, Sri Lanka and China. The speakers agreed that Gandhara was a major centre for Buddhist learning and education and recommended preserving the Buddhist Gandhara heritage in Pakistan.

Session II discussed ‘Gandhara Civilization: Celebrating Pakistan’s Buddhist Heritage.’ The panel of the second session’s presenters comprised experts, faith leaders and religious scholars who emphasized that Buddhist Gandhara heritage is paramount to Pakistan. Pakistan is blessed with rich culture and is a hub of civilisation. The Punjab and Sindh have landmark historical sites with excellent archaeological research and spiritual tourism opportunities. Pakistan’s Buddhist legacy offers a pathway to peace, harmony and tranquillity. The best way to preserve cultural heritage is to share it with the world and allow them to be part of this world. The panellists suggested that the Buddhist heritage has economic potential and educational attraction. They recommended promoting Gandhara Heritage to the world and creating economic opportunities for Pakistan. The speakers stressed that we must try to dispel the misconceptions about Pakistan and build trust among Buddhist people so that Buddhists can come to Pakistan from around the world.

Session III of the Gandhara Symposium delved into ways of ‘Promoting Tourism: Creating an Enabling Environment.’ Experts from Pakistan’s tourism industry and think tanks were invited as speakers. The panelists agreed that efforts need to be put in to develop the tourist industry of Pakistan that presents a positive image of the country. They suggested that special attention should be given to various tourism-related sectors such as visa regimes, film and media, hospitality, culinary, museums, tours and tourist centers to promote the potential of Gandhara tourism in Pakistan.

Lastly, an illustrious panel of religious experts, academics, curators, faith leaders and other stakeholders gathered for a Roundtable on ‘Gandhara Civilization: Opportunities and Challenges.’ Pakistan is a safe place for tourism, and this conference conveys this message aptly. Pakistan is going to start Gandhara Tourism, and it is ready to collaborate with other countries to enhance B2B and P2P contacts. The roundtable concluded that the lack of security structure, awareness and marketing, funds for preservation and restoration, unsupervised hotels, underdeveloped roads, tourist safety, and lack of modern tourism infrastructure were a few of the mentioned challenges.

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