Dr. Abdul Samad, Tourism Minister Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa briefs World Bank President Ajay Pal Singh Banga on the historical significance and development plans of the Julian Stupa in Khanpur. Photo Express
TAXI:
World Bank President Ajay Pal Singh Banga on Sunday visited the Julian Stupa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Khanpur, as part of his official tour of Pakistan.
Banga arrived in Pakistan on a four-day high-level visit, touring several official and cultural landmarks. His visit began on February 1 and will continue until February 4.
During his stay, he is scheduled to meet the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, the Federal Finance Minister and other senior officials. The discussions are expected to focus on economic reforms, development cooperation and regional projects.
As part of the visit, Banga also performed religious rituals at Gurdwara Sri Panja Sahib in Hasan Abdal, where he was presented with a siropa by members of the Sikh community. Subsequently, his delegation visited the ancient Buddhist archaeological site Julian Stupa in Khanpur.
The delegation was received by Minister of Tourism Dr. Abdul Samad, Commissioner Hazara, Deputy Commissioner Haripur, DIG Hazara Division, DPO Haripur, Assistant Commissioner Khanpur, Syed Niaz Ali Bacha and the place in charge of Julian Stupa, Raja Adnan.
Dr. Abdul Samad briefed the guests on the historical significance of the Julian Stupa, explaining that it was an ancient Buddhist university and monastery dating back to the second century AD.
He said the site still retains the remains of a central stupa, several smaller platforms and monastic structures, reflecting the rich heritage of the Gandhara civilization.
During the visit, the WB chief and his delegation also inspected additional sites related to geology and archeology and reviewed the ongoing efforts to preserve cultural heritage in KP.
