Zubair Qureshi
Member of the US President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts (PACA) Shahid Ahmed Khan who is currently on a visit to Pakistan for promotion of art and culture links between the United States (US) and Pakistan visited Taxila Museum and took keen interest in the items and sculptures of Buddha displayed there. These artifacts date back to hundreds and thousands of years old Gandhara heritage Taxila was once custodian of.
He commended the efforts of the Directorate General of Archaeology, Punjab in preserving and showcasing this rich heritage for the visitors.
Pakistan, he said, is a cradle of thousands of years old civilization and if promoted well, could earn huge revenue from promotion of this particular sector. Shahid Ahmed Khan who is considered a friend of Pakistan in the Capitol Hill also rang the ‘Bell of Peace’ which is considered a symbol of peace and interfaith harmony.
The bell was donated and unveiled by the Highly Respectable Monk of Sangha Supreme Council of Thailand, MV Arayawangso in November 2019 and installed by local volunteer Imran Shauket with the support of Thailand embassy in Islamabad and Pakistan’s mission in Bangkok.
The first step taken by MV Arayawangso for the promotion of Buddhist tourism in Pakistan has taken the world by storm and now international delegations of the Buddhist monks from all over the world and dignitaries make a beeline during their visit to the Taxila Museum to ring the bell of peace. Two other bells have also been installed in Swat and Peshawar museum by MV Arayawangso.
Ambassador Shahid Ahmed Khan was briefed about the history and period of each of the artifacts preserved there. Later, talking to media persons, Mr Khan said the aim of his visit was to explore potential in expanding ties in the field of art and culture. Pakistan and the US have a history of warm and cordial relations, he said adding there existed a huge potential between the two countries in arts, culture and tourism growth and he would make sure the two countries moved in that direction. Taxila valley is rich with the ruins of one of South Asia’s most ancient Buddhist universities, which dated back to the 3rd century BC and include different sites listed on Unesco cultural heritage list.
