During its visit earlier this month, the delegation also offered help in research and reading the Jain inscriptions and promoting religious tourism between two countries
Sindh Courier
Karachi, Sindh
The Jain delegation, who visited Punjab and Sindh earlier this month, offered assistance to the concerned provincial authorities of Sindh for preservation and maintenance of Jain heritage.
The 2-member delegation consisting of Secretary General Jain Heritage Foundation, Delhi, India, Mr. Aishwani Jain and an expert of Jain heritage from Mumbai India Mr. Vimal Shah, had visited Sindh earlier in the month of June.
The Jain heritage delegation experts along with the focal person, Ms. Zahida Quadri (Assistant Director) and site In-charge Mr. Keelash Kumar visited the Jain heritage temples of Nagarparker, the antiquities department stated in a Facebook post about two weeks after the visit of delegation.
The delegation offered to assist the department in the conservation of the Jain temples especially in conserving Fresco, architecture and maintenance of Jain heritage in Sindh, and also helping in research and reading Jain inscriptions and understanding the history of the region.
The delegation was interested in the promotion of religious tourism between two countries.
Delegation explained how two communities – Sindhi and Jains can collaborate for promotion, preservation and conservation of Jain heritage in Sindh, and build bridges between two countries
During their meeting with the Secretary Culture Tourism Antiquities and Archives Department government of Sindh, Abdul Aleem Lashari and the Director General Manzoor Ahmed Kanasro, they expressed the interest to open doors for the Jain community not only reside in India but also for those living in the other parts of the world to come to Pakistan and visit their religious places. Abdul Aleem Lashari appreciated the idea of promoting religious tourism in Sindh.
Mr. Ashwani Jain and Mr. Vimal Shah shared desire to form a Chair or a committee of Jain religion separately in Pakistan which can assist the government bodies in Jain heritage preservation. They emphasized that Jain is a separate community and religion like Hinduism, Buddhism and others. They requested the authorities that their religious identity must be treated like other minorities.
During their meeting with the cultural heritage authorities they explained how two communities Sindhi and Jains can collaborate in future for promotion, preservation and conservation of Jain heritage in Sindh, and build bridges between two countries with the help of culture and heritage.
The Special Assistant to Chief Minister for archives, Tariq Hassan also attended the guests along with the Director Abdul Fatah Shaikh and Ms. Zahida Quadri. He encouraged to build ties between two countries and express his interest in supporting the same.
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