Staff Reporter The United States has announced a Rs 55 million grant for preserving the heritage sites in Pakistan. The announcement was made by the United States Ambassador to Pakistan Paul W Jones during an event at Indus Valley School. The US envoy said that the grant was aimed at restoring the cultural and heritage sites in the country. “There are many cultural sites in the country and it is important to safeguard these places,” he said. He further said that the United States has extended cooperation with Pakistan in many sectors. In December 2019, the Sindh government has declared Karachi’s Banyan trees as “protected heritage of the city.” Sindh chief minister’s Adviser on Law and Environment Murtaza Wahab tweeted, “SindhGovt has declared the old Banyan Trees in Clifton & other areas of Karachi as Protected Heritage of the city.” The US envoy also paid a surprise visit to more than 200 school students of the Roshan Pakistan Academy. Accompanied by US Consul General Rob Silberstein, the delegation toured the school grounds, interacted with students, and learned about the school’s community-based education model. Speaking with the school’s founder and 2013 alumna of the US-funded Emerging Leaders of Pakistan exchange program, Ambassador Jones said, “The talented and motivated young people here at Roshan Pakistan Academy illustrate the tremendous resource that Pakistan’s youth is. “We believe education is the driver of prosperity and development. That is why the US has invested more than $159.2 million in basic education across Sindh since 2012.”
