This picture taken on August 7, 2012 shows seized ancient statues at a museum in Karachi. Pakistan is home to two ancient civilisations, the Indus, which dates back to between 2500 and 1700 BC, and the Gandhara, from 530 BC to 1021 AD. It is the Gandhara artefacts that are most highly prized -statues of the Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, who was born in Nepal in the 6th century BC and whose teachings grew into a major religion, can fetch thousands of dollars across the world. AFP PHOTO / RIZWAN TABASSUM
ISLAMABAD: Managing Director Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) Aftab-ur-Rehman said that millions of Buddhist tourists from across the world had shown keen interest in exploring the rich Gandhara heritage of the country.
He said that Pakistan was a country rich in cultural heritage sites of different religions.
In a statement, he said that it was our moral responsibility to work individually and collectively for the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage and sites of religious significance to maintain their identity.
He said that Taxila and the areas like Peshawar, Swabi, Mardan, and Lower Swat in Khyber Pakthunkhwa could become hubs for Buddhist tourism with the right policy and plan.
He said that Pakistanis were custodians of Buddhist heritage. We welcome Buddhists living in Pakistan and from other countries as well to promote interfaith harmony in the region, he added.