Web Desk
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan has inaugurated Al-Biruni Radius, a tourism project in Jhelum district of Potowar plateau, saying that country’s cultural heritage needed to be preserved for the future generations.
The site’s archeological significance dates back to the 11th century when Persian Scholar Abu Rehan Al-Biruni quantified the circumference of the Earth during his stay there. The Persian scholar later wrote a famous book about the region and mentioned Nandana as a great center of learning.
Tourism, the premier noted, “provides the most employment” and its promotion would do the same for Pakistan’s youth. “Tourism is made successful by the locals,” he said, promising to develop the region and put it on the world map.
“Cultural heritage needs to be preserved for future generations,” the prime minister underscored. “We will make Jhelum’s Baghanwala a model village,” he vowed.
PM Imran Khan also visited the Tilla Jogian National Park, where he planted an olive tree, and was briefed on measures related to wildlife and environmental protection in the Salt Range National Park.
“Unfortunately, we did not develop and preserve our archaeological sites,” he pointed out, adding the recent discovery of a 40-feet long statue of sleeping Buddha from Haripur shows the rich cultural heritage of Pakistan.
“Our archaeologists did little, in fact, nothing, to preserve our heritage. Even Moenjo Dero and Harappa were discovered by foreigners. The entire world initiates excavation projects but there were none initiated on our soil,” the premier lamented.
According to a statement issued Sunday afternoon by the Prime Minister’s Office, the inauguration of the two new national parks was part of “furthering the vision of combatting environmental degradation and protecting biodiversity”.
In an earlier update, the PM’s Office said on Twitter the prime minister was keen on the preservation
The historical Nandana Fort is located in tehsil Pind Dadan Khan of district Jhelum. There are six more historic sites near the fort including Nandana temple, Katas Raj Temple, salt mines of Khewra, Malot Fort and Throne of Babur. These sites will also become part of the heritage trail and the tourists can visit these places in one go.
Earlier on December 11, Prime Minister Imran Khan had witnessed an agreement signing between the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government and World Bank (WB) for eco-tourism under which the government would expand road networks to boost tourism.
