MANSEHRA, Sept 8: A three days conference on ?Conference on Rediscovering Silk Route? was held by the Hazara University with the assitance of HEC (Higher education commission of Pakistan)
Archeologists and historians attending the conference from different countries called for revival of the centuries-old route linking China with Europe and other countries by Silk Route (Karakoram Highway), to strengthen humanitarian, cultural and trading bonds among nations in the East & west.
Participants urged the government to preserve around 5,000 rock carvings and thousands of inscriptions and sculptures lying along the Indus and Silk road to maintain its historic glory.
?The route is also important for strengthen historic significance of arts, trade, culture, tourism and religious education in countries within the region, Europe and the US as time is not far when trade and culture would be considered the supremacy hegemony of nations or countries nor the war,? said a speaker.
Other speakers said historic rock carvings, inscriptions and sculptures alongside the Karakoram highway were under potential threat to be submerged under the water reservoir of the Diamer-Bhasha dam and government should work for their preservation.?If these rock carvings, inscriptions and sculptures are vanished, a great period being revealed by these edicts would also be vanished,? said one of the speakers.
Besides vice chancellor Dr Sakhawat Shah, historians and archeologists Dr Ruth Young of Britain, Dr Brian Hemphil of the US, Dr Missi Gummitt of France, Dr H Humptman of Germany, Dr Carlos Kalazan of Portugal, and Sutsuko Karnis of Japan and Dr Ashraf Kakar of the federal archaeology department, Dr Shah Nazar of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa archaeology department, Dr Naseem Khan of archaeology and anthropology department, Dr Farooq Swati of arts and humanities department, Sarah Pervez of British Council also spoke on the occasion and presented their research and documents on importance of Silk Route and its historic background.
Hazara University vice chancellor Dr Sakhawat Shah said Silk Route had played a marvelous role in the growth and development of human culture and civilisation.
?Basically, it was a trade route to export silk from China to the rest of the world. Besides 5,000 rock carvings and thousands of inscriptions, many historic sites and legendary accounts are also linked to it,? he said.
