ISLAMABAD (APP): National History and Literary Heritage (NHLH) Division signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Inter Art Channel, Republic of Korea to organize an exhibition of Gandhara artefact and sculptures from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) in two cities of Korea.
According to the MoU, the exhibition would be held for a period of six months starting from March next year, a news release issued here said.
The MoU was signed by Secretary, National History and Literary Heritage Division, Mohsin S. Haqqani and President of the Inter Art Channel, Republic of Korea, Yangsoo Kim.
Director General (Policy Planning and Public Diplomacy) Rahim Hayat Qureshi and Director General (EAP) Javed Jalil Khattak from Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Joint Secretary (Heritage), Mashood Ahmad Mirza, Director (Archeology and Museum Department), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Dr. AbdulSamad and Secretary of Gandhara Art and Culture Association, Islamabad, Dr. Esther Park were also present during the event.
The MoU would help strengthen the existing excellent relations between Pakistan and Korea by opening a new avenue of cultural cooperation.
The exhibition would help to display rich Buddhist archaeological treasure of Pakistan in Korea and project the soft image of Pakistan which would help to draw religious tourists to Pakistan.
The Gandhara civilization which core region was located around the city of Peshawar in North-West Pakistan, was not only the centre of spiritual influence but also the cradle of the world famous Gandhara culture, art and learning.
This ancient source of the region’s culture had created an empathy between Pakistan and other countries of Central, South and East Asia which needed to be strengthened.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as part of its Public Diplomacy initiatives aimed at promoting Pakistani culture abroad, had undertaken efforts to organize with the assistance of our missions abroad a series of ancient Pakistan exhibitions.
The ministry endeavoured to arrange such public diplomacy events to project Pakistan’s culture, heritage and ethos both at home and abroad.