It is well said that mountain tourism changes a person’s life. Once you go for a trip to the mountainous valleys, you are not the same. You end up feeling positive changes in your personality. There is a saying that if world leaders spent a few days climbing a mountain together, then surely all the long-standing issues and problems of the world would be resolved forever.
The ‘chehlum’ of Hazrat Imam Hussain and his devoted companions was observed on Thursday (Sep 7) where thousands of people participated in the processions held in different parts of the country.
The inclusion of Ethiopia in BRICS, an informal group of emerging world economies comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, is a pleasant surprise because the African country’s extreme backwardness, poverty, famine, lack of food and humanitarian appeals were once reported in our media in the past.
A few years ago, when the government of Pakistan announced the establishment of the Kartarpur Corridor, I clearly expressed my hope that this corridor would pave the way for opening more corridors in Pakistan and the region.
Being a student of history, whenever I get some free time in my daily socio-political activities, I try to study various important events that have played a key role in changing the course of human history. One of the major events of the previous century is the Second World War. The massive casualties, huge destruction and other horrific losses have not yet been accurately estimated
Every year in the month of August, all patriotic Pakistani citizens feel a sense of joy and pride when they see national flags everywhere – on roads and waving from cars and homes. A national flag is a country’s identity, and nations struggle hard to keep their flag high.
I had the honour of participating at the special ceremony held in Islamabad on the completion of ten years of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). On the occasion, Prime Minister of Pakistan Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Federal Minister for Planning Professor Ahsan Iqbal, other members of the cabinet, senior officials of various ministries and heads of commercial organizations were present. Vice Premier of China He Lifeng also graced the ceremony as the chief guest.
A video clip of a family that went on a tour to the northern regions of the country has gone viral on social media. In the middle of the night, these travellers faced massive landslides for many hours and were desperately struggling to save themselves.
The three-day International Gandhara Symposium held in Islamabad on July 11 under the auspices of the prime minister’s task force on Gandhara Tourism can be termed as historic in all respects.
Today, I can count myself among the few luckiest people in the world who have seen their dream come true in their own lifetime. Honourable Buddhist monks from Thailand, Nepal, Vietnam, China, Malaysia, Korea, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia and other Buddhist majority countries have been with me for the last few days when their flights landed at Islamabad International Airport to join the first-ever international Gandhara Symposium, organized by the Prime Minister’s Taskforce on Gandhara Tourism with the collaboration of like-minded think tanks, organizations and individuals.
Under the auspices of the prime minister’s task force on Gandhara tourism, it was indeed an honour for me to chair a round table conference on Wednesday (July 5), which was attended by 20 diplomats from various countries, including Nepal, Japan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Sudan, Malaysia, Norway, Palestine, Kyrgyzstan and Spain.
I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to those lucky people from all over the world who celebrated Eidul Azha in the holy land of Hijaz. Although it is the wish of every Muslim to perform Haj, the opportunity is given to only those lucky ones who are selected by Allah Almighty to appear before Him. I believe that when the decision is made in the skies, the paths are made for its spontaneous implementation on the ground.
On the occasion of completing one month of taking charge as chairperson of the prime minister’s taskforce on Gandhara Tourism with the status of minister of state – on Wednesday (June 21), I decided to lead a delegation – comprising the Kenyan high commissioner, researchers, students and journalists – to the 2,500–year-old Manikyala Stupa, located near Rawat, an area adjacent to the federal capital Islamabad.
It is wonderful to write my weekly article while being present in the beautiful valley of Swat, which is also called the Switzerland of Pakistan. Located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), it has always been the centre of attraction for tourists across the globe due to its natural beauty and scenic views.
The prime minister’s taskforce on Gandhara tourism has decided to dedicate every Wednesday to gain knowledge about the sacred historical sites related to the Gandhara era.In this regard, an educational trip was organized to the ruins of Takht-e-Bahi, the cradle of the world’s ancient civilization and the most significant centre of Buddhism, which remained hidden from the public eye for a long time.
Being the chairman of the Prime Minister’s Task Force on Gandhara Tourism, I have visited the historical Buddha ‘s Caves located at the Shah Allah Ditta town of Islamabad as my top priority. I am grateful to the ambassadors of Thailand and Indonesia, civil society and media representatives who accompanied the task force on this commemorative occasion
Being the chairperson of the task force on Gandhara tourism formed by the prime minister of Pakistan, I have decided to celebrate the birth anniversary of Gautama Buddha today (May 26) at the Islamabad Museum.
The northern territories of Pakistan were once an integral part of Buddhist-dominated ancient Gandhara civilization, which extended from the 1st century to the 7th century. Many historical monuments and holy places of worship are located in different parts of the country including Taxila, Takht-e-Bahi, Swat and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB).
The colourful ceremony of the coronation of King Charles III, the seventh British monarch, has been described as one of the biggest celebrations of the modern era. On this occasion, the coronation of Queen Camila was also held. Several heads of state and world leaders, particularly from former British colonies, including Pakistan and Commonwealth realms, were also present.
May 4 – Thursday – turned into a most memorable day in my life as one of my big dreams came true in the form of Pakistan’s largest job fair held at the Karachi Expo Centre with the aim to connect job seekers with potential employers across the country. I am highly grateful to Chairman HEC Dr Mukhtar and Governor State Bank Jameel Ahmed, who have whole-heartedly supported the Pakistan Hindu Council for this noble cause.
Internationally, the immigration of intelligent people from their native country is known as brain drain whereas for the country where they move to serve gets a brain gain. The main reason the US became a superpower is that it welcomed intelligent people from all over the world and provided them with the best environment to express their talents. Today, mostly developed countries are also following the US to attract the best of the best brains.
“You are free; you are free to go to your temples. You are free to go to your mosques or to any other places of worship in this state of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion, caste or creed – that has nothing to do with the business of the state.”
My column last week (‘The Pakistani dream’, April 7) has received some valuable feedback. Readers endorse my viewpoint that every nation needs a dream for prosperity and then struggle collectively to fulfil this national dream. Some say that in the last seven decades, every Pakistani government has shown unrealistic dreams to the people, which never come true.
Chinese President Xi Jinping introduced the Chinese dream to his nation after becoming the secretary general of the Chinese Communist Party in 2012.
This year’s Ramazan has started at a time when the Hindu community is also observing the holy festival of Navratri. During nine days of fasting, Hindu followers seek the blessings of God Almighty to become good humans and contribute something positive in the best interest of humanity.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, during his significant visit to Russia, had a three-hour long meeting with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. In recent days, China has played a leading role in restoring diplomatic relations between two staunchly opposed countries, Saudi Arabia and Iran.
People around the world have always exchanged gifts to promote cordial relations with each other, but the case of gifts given to states differs in the sense that the gifts presented to the head of state are not in a personal capacity but at a diplomatic level.
First of all, I would like to congratulate everyone on Holi, the festival of colours and joy. This important festival of Hinduism reminds us that the real victory is always of goodness and truth.
Last year on February 24, the war between Russia and Ukraine started. One year on, Ukraine is facing the worst kind of destruction, reportedly the casualties of tens of thousands of people and the exile of around five million. A large number of innocent children are also victimized. country, including the capital city of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Muzaffarabad, Bagh, Balakot and the surrounding areas.
On February 23 eight years ago, the first Hindu chief justice of Pakistan, Rana Bhagwan Das, passed away. Bhagwan Das was my mentor and taught me to knock on the door of the judiciary to protect the rights of the minority community suffering from various problems. There was a time when we used to walk together in the evening and discuss various issues.
Eighteen years ago, on October 5, 2005 Pakistan faced a natural disaster in the form of a terrible earthquake that shook many parts of the country, including the capital city of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Muzaffarabad, Bagh, Balakot and the surrounding areas.
New York-based media outlet ‘Bloomberg’ has revealed in its latest report that around $5 million are being smuggled from Pakistan to Afghanistan on a daily basis. It says that the smuggling of dollars provides “some support for the squeezed economy after the US and Europe denied the Taliban regime access to billions in foreign reserves.”
February 2 marks the birth anniversary of Khushwant Singh, a literary personality of our region, who was born 108 years ago in the village of Hadali, Punjab in present-day Pakistan. During his 99 years of rich life, he had remarkable achievements in the fields of journalism, advocacy, politics and diplomacy. purchasing power is steadily decreasing due to the rising inflation rate.
In my last article, I called the current situation of Pakistan critical, which is getting complicated day by day. I still believe that no country seems to be involved in destabilizing Pakistan and we should be realistic and not blame others for our problems.
The current situation of Pakistan is getting complicated day by day. On the one hand, there is uncertainty over the country’s political future and on the other, people’s purchasing power is steadily decreasing due to the rising inflation rate.
I recently watched a video on social media whose heart-touching message made me think that just because we cannot see something it does not mean it is not there. Our eyes cannot see the signals of cellular phones or WiFi, but the functionality of these devices is the undeniable evidence of their presence.
During a phone call with my US-based friend, I came to know that the US observes National Bird Day on January 5. Many bird enthusiasts celebrate the day by adopting birds. The occasion also sees several awareness campaigns that include activities relating to bird care – how to feed them and keep them protected.