Altaf Hamid Rao,
MIRPUR (AJK): In yet a first-ever attempt to preserve and secure the ancient asset of archaeology in this part (AJK) of the Himalayan state of Jammu & Kashmir, AJK Departments of Tourism / Archaeology and Information are all set to jointly hold a grand 3-day 1st Kashmir Conference on Archaeology from January 4 (this month), it was officially announced.
Addressing a joint crowded news conference here on Monday, this was disclosed by Director General AJK Tourism & Archaeology Department Peerzada Ershad Ahmed and the Director General, Press Information Department of AJK government Raja Azhar Iqbal, who added that the objective of holding of the national-level Kashmir moot on archaeology is not only aimed at to unearth, preserve and rehabilitate the ancient pieces of centuries old cultural heritages in various parts of Azad Jammu Kashmir, but also primarily to promote the tourism industry in Azad Jammu Kashmir, where required huge potential and conducive environment awaits the local and foreign investment in the tourism sector in the liberated territory.
Highlighting the salient features of the conference, they said that AJK President Sardar Masood Khan will inaugurate the moot, to be first of its own kind, being held under the auspices of the above two institutions of Azad Jammu Kashmir with prime focus not only to attract the intending local and foreign entrepreneur to move for making investment in the tourism sector in AJK through restoring the ancient / historical sites including centuries old Ram Kot fort, Mangla fort in Mirpur district, Baghser fort in Bhimbher district and Muzaffarabad fort besides the places of worships in Mirpur division and other parts of Azad Jammu Kashmir besides to attract the tourist from across the country besides particularly from Pakistani and Kashmiri diaspora inhibiting abroad, especially in the United Kingdom, they added.
DG Tourism Peerzada and AJK PID chief Azhar Iqbal continued that AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider Khan will be the chief guest at the concluding session of the grand conference to be held on January 6. The concluding session of the moot will be followed by a detailed site-seeing trip by the participants of the conference to the ancient sites in Mirpur division depicting thousands of years old cultural heritage of the Jammu & Kashmir state including Ramkot fort, Baghser fort and the identical historic sites on currently the dried-bed of the Mangla lake including mausoleum of Hazrat Meeran Shah, the temple and other identical historic places, they added.
Besides Senior officials of the concerned institutions of the governments of Pakistan and AJK, leading experts of the field of tourism and the archaeologists from various parts of the country including AJK including ex Ambassador Arif Kamal, AJK Minister for Tourism Mushtaq Minhas, Ms. Midhat Shahzad, AJK Secretary for Tourism & Archaeology, Dr. Ghani ur Rehman from Quaid-e-Azam University, Dr. Shakirullah Jan and Muzaffar Ahmed from Hazara University Mansehra, Dr. Muhammad Hamid from and Asif Mahmood Rana from University of Punjab, Dr. Ijaz Khan from Mardar AWK University, Dr. Abdul Rehman, DPI Colleges, AJK, Research Scholar and expert of Tourism and Archaeology and retired DG Tourism AJK Dr. Mohsin Shakeel, Dr. Gul Raheem from Peshawar University, Prof. Dr. Rukhsana Said Hassan Khan, Assistant Prof. of AJK University, Ms. Asma Ibrahim Director State Bank Museum, Ahtishaam Aziz Research Officer Lahore Museum, Samiullah from Peshawar University, Brigadier Adnan from Army Museum Rawalpindi, Dr. Zain ul Abideen Prof at Metropolitan Academy of Art and Design, Dr. Adil Shah from Hazara University, Ms. Syeda Rubiqa Abdi Bukhari from Punjab Unviversity, Ms. Fatiha Hamid M. Phil Scholar from Mirpur, Mian Atique Ahmed, Secretary General Museum Association of Pakistan, Aftab ur Rehman President Sustainable Tourism Development Foundation Pakistan, DGPR Raja Azhar Iqbal and the DG Tourism and Archaeology of AJK Peerzada Ershad Ahmed would deliver their respective expert opinions over the bright potential of tourism, preservation of the sites of archaeology through their rehabilitation for the attracting of the local and foreign tourist particularly comprising millions of UK-based Kashmiri diaspora including Pakistani and Kashmiri expatriates living in various European and middle east countries.
