A 16-member Sri Lankan delegation comprising senior government officials, Buddhist community leaders, archaeologists, academics, business representatives, legal professionals, and media personalities has arrived in Pakistan for an eight-day Pakistan Buddhist Heritage Familiarization Tour, aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and advancing cooperation in Gandhara heritage, archaeology, education, cultural preservation, and people-to-people connections. The delegation included Dr. E. A. Senarath Dissanayake, Director General, Department of Archaeology, Sri Lanka; Professor P. D. Mandawala, former Director General of the Department of Archaeology; Mrs. Dilrukshi Dias Wickramasinghe, 46th Solicitor General of Sri Lanka; and prominent Buddhist community and business leaders, including Mr. Jagath Sumathipala. The delegation is led by Mr. Deeptha Wickramaratna, President of the Bodhi Dhamma Buddhist Association, Australia, serving as its Principal Coordinator. The initiative is being organized and coordinated by Mr. Imran Shauket, Coordinator of the Prime Minister’s Taskforce on Gandhara, under the chairmanship of the Federal Minister for National Heritage and Culture, Mr. Aurangzeb Khan Khichi. It reflects Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening international engagement around the Gandhara civilization through cultural diplomacy , academic exchange, institutional partnerships, and heritage preservation. The delegation was formally welcomed at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) by Federal Minister Mr. Aurangzeb Khan Khichi, Secretary, National Heritage and Culture Division, Mr. Asad Rehman Gilani, Rear Admiral Fred Senevirathne (Retd.), High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Pakistan, and Mr. Christy Ruban, Deputy High Commissioner, Sri Lankan High Commission. A key highlight of the opening day was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Hazara University , Mansehra, Pakistan, and Nagananda International Buddhist University (NIIBS), Sri Lanka. The agreement provides a framework for student and faculty exchanges, archaeology, Buddhist studies, joint research, academic programmes, and heritage preservation. The MoU was signed by Dr. Shakir Ullah, Professor and Chairman, Department of Archaeology, Dean, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Hazara University , and Professor P. D. Mandawala, Founder of Nagananda International Buddhist University (NIIBS), Sri Lanka, in the presence of the Federal Minister, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Dr. Ikram Ullah Khan, Hazara University , and other distinguished dignitaries. Following the ceremony, the delegation visited the Islamabad Museum, exploring its archaeological collections and gaining further insight into Pakistan’s Gandhara civilization and Buddhist heritage . The visit also features a significant international media component, with renowned Sri Lankan television presenter and media personality Mr. Chathura Alwis, accompanied by a professional production team, documenting the journey for an eight-episode television series to be broadcast in Sri Lanka, showcasing Pakistan’s Gandhara civilization, Buddhist heritage , archaeological treasures, and cultural connections with Sri Lanka. The remaining programme includes engagements with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, visits to museums and significant archaeological sites in Taxila, Takht-i-Bahi, Peshawar, and Swat, and interactions with Pakistani academic and heritage institutions. A further MoU between the University of Swat and Nagananda International Buddhist University is also planned to advance academic, archaeological, and research cooperation.
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