Rear Admiral (Rtd) Fred Senevirathne, High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Pakistan, called on Federal Minister for National Heritage and Culture Division Aurangzeb Khan Khichi in Islamabad to discuss cultural cooperation, heritage preservation and the promotion of religious tourism.
The Sri Lankan delegation included Most Venerable Thebo, a distinguished Buddhist monk, and was warmly received by the Federal Minister who stressed that Pakistan has opened its doors to Sri Lankan visitors, particularly members of the Buddhist community, to explore and reconnect with the region’s Gandhara heritage.
The Federal Minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to facilitating religious and cultural tourism and highlighted the country’s longstanding ties with nations that share historical links to the Gandhara civilization. He described the initiative as part of broader efforts to enhance people-to-people exchanges and deepen mutual understanding between the two countries.
Rear Admiral Senevirathne welcomed the gesture and expressed his intention to strengthen bilateral relations during his tenure, focusing on tangible opportunities for Buddhist communities and expanded cultural collaboration. Most Venerable Thebo conveyed gratitude for Pakistan’s role in preserving Buddhist sites and acknowledged ongoing conservation work at key locations.
The delegation discussed plans to establish a Gandhara Corner in Islamabad to preserve and showcase authentic artifacts and to raise awareness of the shared cultural history. The Federal Minister and Secretary National Heritage and Culture Division Asad Rahman Gilani welcomed input from the Sri Lankan side to refine protection and rehabilitation protocols for heritage sites.
Mr Gilani briefed the visitors on recent repatriation efforts, noting that Pakistan has successfully brought back around 1,000 artifacts from Italy and is actively pursuing the return of thousands more from Australia. The minister and secretary also outlined conservation measures at internationally recognised Buddhist sites including Taxila, Takht-i-Bahi, Swat Valley and Thul.
The delegation was invited to visit additional Buddhist heritage sites as well as the Islamabad Museum to view its collections and the newly established Immersive Gallery. Officials described these steps as part of a concerted push to conserve the region’s tangible past while promoting religious tourism and cross-border cultural exchange.
Both sides underlined that strengthening Gandhara heritage ties and expanding cultural exchange programmes will serve to reinforce the time-tested friendship between Pakistan and Sri Lanka and to broaden people-to-people connections across the region.
