Press Launch Ceremony of First Buddhism Conference in Pakistan 2020

Organized by Taxila Institute of Asian CIvilizations – Quaid-e-Azam University and Silk Road Centre

15th January 2020

The first international conference on Buddhism in Pakistan will be held by the Taxila Institute of Asian Civilizations (TIAC) in collaboration with the Silk Road Centre (SRC) in October later this year. This announcement was made at a press launch event held at TIAC-QAU. 

Sri Lankan High Commissioner Nooruddin Muhammed Shahied was chief guest at the press launch event held at the conference secretariat at TIAC in QAU Islamabad. Director TIAC Dr.Ghani ur Rahman gave the welcome address while Director Gandhara Study Centre of the Islamia College University Peshawar M. Nasim Khan expounded the Buddhist history of the region. Prince of Swat Miangul Adnan Aurangzeb also addressed the congregation extending full support to the international conference formally titled “Rediscovering a Shared spiritual heritage: First International Conference on Buddhism in Pakistan”. Director CPEC Centre Brigadier (R) Safdar also addressed the event extending full support and cooperation to the planned international conference.

The conference will be held in Islamabaad in October 2020 and is designed to promote the understanding and value of Pakistan’s Buddhist heritage that flourished here from the 2nd century BC to the 10th century of the common era. The conference will provide a platform to revive Pakistan’s ancient links with the outside world founded on a shared spiritual heritage and will help promote tourism in the country. Conference themes will explore Buddhist history, philosophy, art and architecture that flourished in today’s Pakistan and were transmitted among the nations on the famed Silk Road. Boosting Buddhist tourism potential is another key conference objective.

A website for the international conference has been launched and  can be accessed at www.buddhisminpakistan.org by anyone for conference related facilitation.