TAKHT BHAI, Pakistan: The government of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) has devised a multi-pronged strategy to revive and refurbish the vibrant tourism sector in the province to preserve the sacred Buddhist sites and other historic monuments of the British era.
The initiative is aimed at attracting national and international tourists and multiply businesses to the province’s tribal areas, a senior official said.
Nisar Muhammad, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) for KP’s minister for tourism, archaeology, sports, culture, and youth affairs, told Arab News that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government estimates the presence of more than 1,000 sites of historical and religious importance, with 132 sites situated in the newly-merged Khyber tribal district alone.
“In a bid to promote religious tourism in KP and war-ravaged erstwhile FATA region, there are many Buddhist sacred places which the followers of the religion want to visit. We have written letters to embassies of seven countries including China, Japan, and Korea about the KP government’s plans to preserve the Buddhist sites to promote religious tourism here,” he said.
Muhammad Zaman, a resident of Takht Bhai, said hundreds of people visit the Buddhist sites on a weekly basis, adding that the government should take measures to rebuild the roads and structures in the larger interest of the country and minorities.
Takht Bhai — part of the World Heritage List — is one of the world’s most renowned and well-structured Buddhist monasteries. It is located almost 500 feet atop a small mountain, with a range of up to two kilometers, toward the east of Takht Bhai bazaar in the KP province.
Known as the heart of the Gandhara civilization, it attracts tourists, historians, and archaeologists from across the country but its preservation would attract Buddhists from across the world, Zaman said.
Founded in the early first century, the Takht Bhai Buddhist monastic complex (Throne of Origins) has survived successive invasions and is well preserved due to its location on top of the high hill.
A number of locals say that the Buddhist complex and the surrounding village are widely believed to be named after two wells which were found on top of the hill near the complex.
Takht — which basically means throne and bhai which means water in Persian — was named after the spring located on the left side of the Buddhist site, Sher Nawaz, another local, added.
Muhammad said that the top administrators in every district of the province have been instructed to identify historical places in their respective areas which would help pave way for a fresh survey of the places, adding that 20 more tourist spots would be identified in the next four years.
Nawaz Uddin, a research officer at the KP archaeology department, said that the provincial government is striving to initiate some work on preserving the historical sites but full-fledged work would begin once the budget for the purpose is allocated in the tribal districts.
“KP has over 6,000 historical sites, with some of them have sacred places of ancient religions but we have no scientific survey of the erstwhile FATA region. Only one district of tribal areas known as Khyber tribal district has 132 sites,” he added.
Professor Jamil Yousafzai, an archaeologist in KP, stressed that the preservation of historical sites — primarily those holding religious importance — would bolster the image of the country and lure investments as well.
“The KP government has taken a brilliant step to preserve the sites of Buddhism and other minorities. This depicts that our soil is rich and has the credit of being a cradle of world religion,” he observed.
The areas of Swat, Bunner, Swabi, Takht Bhai, Khyber tribal district, and other parts of the province and tribal regions are rich in historical sites.
Mehrab Afridi, a local from the Khyber tribal district, recalled how the decade-old wave of insurgency severely impacted the tourism sector of the province, driving tourists away from visiting the area.
“As militancy has now been banished in the wake of successive military operations, the rich tourism sector is again on a take-off position. People start visiting Buddhist-period archaeological sites in Swat, Landi Kotal, Jamrud in Khyber tribal district and other areas, which have multiplied businesses,” Afridi said.
He said that the main Stupa in Landi Kotal of the Khyber tribal district is being frequented by visitors on a daily basis. However, the sites need restoration work which would help develop the war-torn region.
Atif Khan, KP minister for tourism, archaeology, sports and culture — during his maiden visit to the newly-merged tribal district of Khyber — had pledged that a Safari train till Torkham border would be launched again which would generate employment opportunities for the locals, too.
He told media that KP has more than 1,000 sacred Buddhist sites of which 100 of them are located in the Khyber tribal district.
Muhammad said that the KP government has formally requested the central government to help the province launch the Safari train from Peshawar all the way to the Torkham border with Afghanistan.
Nawaz Uddin said preserving archaeological and historical sites should not be looked at from a financial point of view. Rather, it is an exercise to work toward preserving the country’s national heritage which depicts the rich history of Pakistan.
“We can attract foreign tourists as the newly-merged districts have a large number of sacred sites of Buddhism. The area can be turned into a religious tourism spot,” he added.
Pakistan to begin restoration work of sacred Buddhist sites, British-era monuments in KP
Pakistan to begin restoration work of sacred Buddhist sites, British-era monuments in KP
- Measures are part of province’s initiative to revive vibrant tourism sector
- Is home to more than 1,000 sites of historic and religious significance
Pakistan Business Council calls for collaborative efforts with UAE in investment, cultural exchanges
Pakistan Business Council calls for collaborative efforts with UAE in investment, cultural exchanges
- UAE is Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner after China and US, and a major source of foreign investment
- Pakistan consul general in Dubai urges business leaders to explore opportunities in IT, agriculture and tourism
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Business Council Dubai on Wednesday said it aims to strengthen existing relations between Islamabad and Abu Dhabi through collaborative efforts in trade, investment and cultural exchanges, a statement from the Pakistan Consulate General in Dubai said.
The UAE is Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner after China and the United States, and a major source of foreign investment valued at over $10 billion in the last 20 years, according to the UAE foreign ministry.
It is also home to more than a million Pakistani expatriates. Policymakers in Pakistan consider the UAE an optimal export destination due to its geographical proximity, which minimizes transportation and freight costs while facilitating commercial transactions.
Hussain Muhammad, the consul general of Pakistan in Dubai, met the new board members of the PBC Dubai at the Consulate General of Pakistan. Shabbir Merchant, the PBC Dubai chairman, shared the council’s strategic roadmap for 2025-2026.
“Mr. Merchant stated that PBC aims to strengthen the relationship between Pakistan and UAE through collaborative efforts in trade, investment and cultural exchanges,” the Pakistan Consulate General said. “He added that the Council is committed to avail opportunities for mutual growth and foster a deeper connection between the two nations.”
Muhammad appreciated PBC’s efforts in promoting Pakistan’s economic potential in the UAE, the statement said, adding that the Pakistani consul general also encouraged them to take concrete steps toward enhancing bilateral trade and investment between the two countries.
“The Consul General emphasized the need for business leaders to explore opportunities in Pakistan’s diverse sectors, including IT, manufacturing, agriculture and tourism,” the statement said.
“He said that Pakistan offers immense potential for investment and trade, with Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) established as a single window to facilitate investors.”
The SIFC is a hybrid civil-military body formed in June 2023 to attract international investment, particularly from Gulf countries, in Pakistan’s key economic sectors such as tourism, mining and minerals, agriculture and livestock.
Hussain urged the PBC to act as a bridge for creating new partnerships and expanding existing ones.
Pakistan and UAE have stepped up efforts in recent years to strengthen their business and investment relations. In January 2023, Pakistan and the UAE signed multiple agreements worth more than $3 billion for cooperation in railways, economic zones and infrastructure, a Pakistani official said, amid Pakistani caretaker prime minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar’s visit to Davos for the World Economic Forum’s summit.
Pakistan reports first polio case of 2025 from country’s northwest
- Pakistan last year suffered from a surge in polio cases, reporting 73 infections countrywide
- South Asian country will hold first nationwide vaccination drive of this year from February 3
KARACHI: Pakistani health authorities confirmed this year’s first polio case on Wednesday from the country’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, amid Islamabad’s attempts to stem the spread of the disease.
Polio is a paralyzing disease with no cure. Multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine, along with completing the routine vaccination schedule for all children under the age of five are crucial to provide children with strong immunity against the disease.
The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH) confirmed that this year’s first case was reported from the northwestern Dera Ismail Khan district of the province. Last year, the South Asian country reported 73 polio cases countrywide.
“On Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, the lab confirmed one polio case from D.I. Khan,” the Pakistan Polio Eradication Program said in a statement. “D.I. Khan is one of the districts of South KP having 11 polio cases in 2024.”
Giving a breakdown of the 73 polio cases in 2024, the program said 27 were reported from southwestern Balochistan, 22 from KP, 22 from southern Sindh, and one each from the eastern Punjab province and the capital city of Islamabad.
Pakistan, along with neighboring Afghanistan, remains one of the last two polio-endemic countries in the world. In the early 1990s, Pakistan reported around 20,000 cases annually, but by 2018, the number had dropped to just eight cases. Only six cases were reported in 2023, and one in 2021.
However, Pakistan’s polio eradication efforts have faced several challenges in recent years, including attacks by militants and misinformation spread by religious hard-liners.
The Pakistan polio program is scheduled to hold the country’s first nationwide vaccination drive of this year from Feb. 3 to Feb. 9.
Pakistan’s space agency says rare ‘Planetary Parade’ to be visible from January’s last week
- Planetary Parade refers to when four or more planets align in a straight line
- Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will be visible to the naked eye, says space agency
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s national space agency said this week that people will be able to see the “Parade of the Planets,” a celestial spectacle in which four or more planets will line up in the sky, from the naked eye beginning from the last week of January till mid-February.
A planetary parade, or planetary alignment, is a rare celestial event where multiple planets in our solar system align in a straight line or appear close together in the sky. This occurs when the orbits of the planets bring them together in a specific configuration.
“The lining up of four or more planets in the sky is usually called Parade of the Planets,” Pakistan’s Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) said on Tuesday. “Out of all these planets, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will be visible to the naked eye.”
It said that since the moon will be a waning crescent on Jan. 25, from a moderately pollution free sky, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will appear within a similar celestial line.
The space agency said familiarity with constellations would make it easier for people to identify planets. It said many free stargazing applications were available to identify celestial objects in the sky.
“To find out the name of an object, access the app and point the device toward the object in the sky and the app will display the names of the objects toward which the app is pointed out,” Suparco said.
It said Mars would be visible on the eastern horizon in the constellation Gemini whereas a brighter Jupiter would be located in the constellation Taurus.
“If the sky is dark enough, you can also enjoy the beautiful Pleiades, Hyades, and the yellow star Aldebaran,” Suparco said.
The space agency said high-powered binoculars or a telescope would be required to observe Uranus which lies in the constellation Aries.
It added that strong binoculars would be required to see Neptune in the constellation Pisces while Saturn and Venus would also be visible.
Imran Khan’s party says no talks with Pakistan government unless it forms judicial commissions
- Khan’s party has demanded judicial commissions to probe protests of May 2023, November 2024
- Government’s negotiation committee says will respond to demands by Khan’s party in writing on January 28
ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party leader, Omar Ayub Khan, on Wednesday ruled out further negotiations with the government unless its forms judicial commissions to probe the May 9, 2023 and November 2024 anti-government protests, amid efforts by both sides to break the prevalent political deadlock in the country.
Khan last month set up a negotiation committee of PTI members, including Omar Ayub Khan who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, to hold talks with the government to ease political tensions. During the third round of talks between the two sides on Jan. 16, the PTI presented its “Charter of Demands” in writing to the government.
The party’s key demands include the release of political prisoners and the establishment of judicial commissions to investigate the May 9, 2023, and November 2024 protests. Khan’s brief detention on graft charges on May 9, 2023, had sparked countrywide protests that saw his supporters attack and ransack military installations in an unprecedented backlash against Pakistan’s powerful army generals.
In November 2024, Khan supporters from across the country defied blockades from various parts of the country to arrive in the capital to demand his release from prison. The government says four troops were killed while the PTI says 12 of its supporters died in clashes between law enforcers and Khan supporters.
“I wrote this in a tweet last night and this is Imran Khan’s directives too: no commissions, no negotiations,” Omar Ayub Khan told reporters outside the National Assembly. “End of discussion, we don’t accept it. The [judicial] commission of May 9 and the commission of Nov. 26.”
The opposition leader’s statement came shortly after Irfan Siddiqui, a key member of the government’s negotiation committee, said it would respond to the PTI’s written demands on Jan. 28.
When asked whether the committee had decided to form the judicial commissions, Siddiqui responded:
“We have not decided on the question of whether to form or not form [judicial commissions],” Siddiqui told reporters after a consultative meeting of the committee ended.
“That is why deliberations are taking place. Had this decision been taken today, there would be no need to hold meetings tomorrow and the day after that,” he added.
Siddiqui hoped negotiations between both sides would produce fruitful results.
The talks opened last month as Khan had threatened a civil disobedience movement and amid growing concerns he could face trial by a military court for allegedly inciting attacks on sensitive security installations during the May 9 protests.
The negotiations also began two days after 25 civilians were sentenced by a military court to periods of two to 10 years of “rigorous imprisonment” in connection with the attacks on military facilities on May 9, 2023. Just days later on Dec. 26, another 60 civilians were sentenced by a military court to jail time ranging from 2 to 10 years.
Khan, facing a slew of legal cases from jail, says all charges against him are politically motivated to keep him and his party out of power. Khan had to sit out February 2024 general election as convicted felons cannot run for public office in Pakistan.
An anti-graft court last Friday sentenced the former premier to 14 years in jail and his wife, Bushra Khan, to seven years in prison, on charges of receiving land as bribe for a real estate tycoon in exchange for favors. Khan, his wife and the real estate tycoon have denied any wrongdoing in the case.
Pakistani cricketers Saud Shakeel, Noman Ali break into ICC top 10 Test rankings
- Saud Shakeel and Noman Ali were both instrumental in Pakistan’s recent Test win against West Indies in Multan
- Shakeel moves up to number 8 in batter’s rankings as Noman Ali moves to number 9 in ICC bowler’s rankings
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani cricketers Saud Shakeel and Noman Ali have broken into the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) top 10 Test batter’s and bowler’s rankings, the cricket governing body said on Wednesday, after their recent heroics against the West Indies at home.
Shakeel, Ali and spinner Sajid Khan were instrumental in Pakistan’s 127-run convincing victory against the West Indies in Multan last week. Noman grabbed six wickets in the Test match, including a fifer in the West Indies’ first innings that helped dismiss the Caribbean team before they could amass a sizable lead over Pakistan’s first innings total.
Shakeel scored a heroic 84-run knock to steer Pakistan out of the woods in the first innings, helping the team reach 230 runs before they were dismissed.
“Batter Saud Shakeel and bowler Noman Ali are Pakistan’s big movers in the newly updated ICC Men’s Test Rankings,” the ICC said in a report on its website. “Saud Shakeel (753 ratings points) scored 84 in the first innings, climbing three Rankings spots to 8th on the batting list, moving above Steve Smith (746, 9th) and Rishabh Pant (739, 10th).”
Ali, with 761 points to his credit, broke into the top 10 by securing the number nine position. India’s Jasprit Bumrah with 908 points and Australia’s Pat Cummins with 841 points occupy the first and second position, respectively.
“Other notable movers include Pakistan’s Sajid Khan (621), who climbed 18 places to No. 23 after his standout performance in Pakistan’s victory in the first Test,” the ICC said.
Pakistan, who lead 1-0 in the two-match Test series, will next face the West Indies in Multan for the second Test on Jan. 25. Both teams are placed at the bottom of the World Test Championship after successive losses to other teams.
Pakistan are expected to head into the second Test with both Khan and Ali in the playing XI. The South Asian team have been making spin-friendly tracks in Multan and other venues across the country ahead of Test series to capitalize on its home conditions.
Pakistan beat England 2-1 in a three-match Test series at home, capitalizing again on the spin-friendly tracks. However, the South Asian team lost to South Africa 2-0 in an away Test series this month.
