Sri Lankan delegation briefed on Pakistan's Gandhara Buddhist heritage
The visiting group also discussed academic partnerships, connectivity, updated agreements and joint archaeological explorations with Pakistani officials.
A 20-member Sri Lankan delegation of academics, Buddhist monks, religious leaders and media representatives was briefed on Pakistan's cultural and religious heritage at the Foreign Ministry in Islamabad on Tuesday, the state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported.
Ministry spokesperson Ambassador Sajjad Haider Khan and Director General Strategic Communications Tariq Wazeer led the briefing for the visitors.
The briefing covered Pakistan's Gandhara Buddhist legacy, religious tourism opportunities and initiatives such as the Kartarpur Corridor.
The spokesperson highlighted the long-standing friendship between Pakistan and Sri Lanka and welcomed the visitors to Pakistan.
Both sides discussed possible cooperation in academic partnerships, enhanced connectivity, updated memorandums of understanding, joint archaeological explorations and cultural exchanges.
Ambassador Sajjad Haider Khan praised the work of Imran Shaukat of the Prime Minister's Taskforce Gandhara Cradle of Buddhism Strategy and of the Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Pakistan.
Officials said the visit reinforced shared efforts to strengthen people-to-people ties and promote the common cultural and civilizational heritage of the two countries.
The Gandhara civilization flourished in what is now northwestern Pakistan and is known for its Buddhist art and sites that draw scholars and visitors from abroad.
Sri Lanka is a Buddhist-majority nation, and its religious and academic ties with Pakistan have grown through cultural exchanges in recent years.
