ISLAMABAD: For a change, Ministry of Foreign Affairs was in a reach out frame of mind first by inviting diplomats based in Islamabad to show case the ‘Glorious Gandhara Civilisation’ to attract tourists and later reaching out to the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs pursuing them to participate in a London conference on Kashmir.Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi was successful in convincing the diplomats as it was decided to constitute a Gandhara Forum consisting of ambassadors and high commissioners of selected countries whose citizens, especially Buddhists are attracted to the Gandhara Civilisation.Qureshi underscored the importance of promoting tourism in Pakistan, pointing out that since coming into power, the government has been making concerted efforts to promote tourism especially religious tourism in Pakistan.The initiative comes on the heels of the announcement of the PTI government to liberalise its visa regime to attract more tourists which saw e-visa facility being given to 175 countries and visa on arrival to 50 countries.Qureshi said it was time for the diplomats to update their travel advisory to Pakistan and join hands in ensuring that tourists from their countries could take advantage of Pakistan’s Gandhara Civilisation, something no other country could offer. Earlier, its decision to open the Kartarpur Corridor for religious tourism had received positive feedback from thousands of Sikhs the world over. he Forum at the Foreign Office on Monday was attended by the Foreign Secretary, Senior officers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, High Commissioners and Ambassadors of China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam as well as experts on Gandhara Civilisation.Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua in her welcoming remarks highlighted the Gandhara Heritage. According to the Foreign Office, she highlighted Pakistan’s natural beauty, and its many sites sacred to followers of many religions including Buddhism.“These sites have a potential to attract foreigners especially people across many countries”, she said. Monday also saw a healthy tradition of inviting members of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee led by Senator Mushahid Hussain, Chairman of Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, to deliberate on the recent situation of Indian Held Jammu and Kashmir (IHK).He invited all parliamentarians of Pakistan and the political leadership of Azad Kashmir to attend a seminar on the Kashmir issue at the United Kingdom’s House of Commons early next month.The foreign minister apprised the members of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee of the efforts undertaken by the government to highlight the issue of gross human rights violations in IHK.He said that the reports by the office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the UK’s All Parties Parliamentary Kashmir Group (APPKG), confirm the atrocities being perpetrated by the Indian occupation forces in IHK.“We need to highlight the findings of these reports before the international community and reiterate our call for establishment of a Commission of Inquiry (COI), as recommended by the OHCHR report, to investigate the human rights violations in IHK”, he said.The participants agreed that it was essential to draw the attention of the world community towards the humanitarian emergency in IHK. They also pledged their support to the valiant people of IHK in their just struggle to achieve their right to self-determination.
from The News International - National http://bit.ly/2sURk2V
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