ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz has said that Pakistan is prepared to play its role in creating new linkages, strengthening the existing ones and help trigger a movement for sustainable peace and development in the region and beyond.
In his address at an exhibition “Ancient Pakistan” held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad on Monday, the adviser said that the ancient sources of Pakistan’s culture and civilization have created a cultural empathy between Pakistan and other countries of Central, South, and East Asia.
Sartaj Aziz said that this link has to be strengthened and transformed through greater regional connectivity, speedy resolution of disputes and closer people to people contacts.
Talking about the exhibition, the adviser said that the objective of the event was to introduce the world of the country’s rich heritage and culture.
The adviser said that “Ancient Pakistan”, is not merely a display of artifacts and antiquities rather it is a narration of history of an ancient people who inhabited the meadows, fields, mountains, deserts, hills and valleys of this country. The ingenuity of the people left indelible marks on human civilization in this part of the world.
The adviser said that Pakistan is known as the Gift of Indus whose tributaries have nourished life throughout this region since times immemorial. The life giving waters of Indus bestow on the land an indestructible unity, lasting fertility, endless energy and a reliable communication system. The north-south flow of Indus has also imparted this country an unmistakable profile.
Sartaj Aziz said that people in the ancient settlements of Mehrgarh or the city states of the Indus Valley would run their affairs without any potentates. They knew that security of their states would be gauged by the scale of public welfare. Hence, among the discovered antiquities in Moenjodaro and Harappa, we find neither the crowns nor royal trappings. The most treasured discoveries are sculpture, architecture, granaries, sewerage systems, public baths, water reservoirs and river ports.
Gandhara, nevertheless constitutes yet another landmark where artistic traditions were synthesized. It showcases the willingness of the local artists to absorb new ideas and innovate. It emerged as a major center of art, crafts and sciences in the ancient world, Sartaj Aziz said.
“Our most significant legacy from our past is the tradition of tolerance, respect for difference and acceptance of plurality which even today is the bedrock of the true Pakistani ethos,” he said.
The adviser said that ancient Pakistan is a fascinating study of how diverse cultures, languages, social and belief systems interacted to produce a common identity. This, today, is our national identity.
