What happened
Former Punjab chief minister Hamza Shehbaz Sharif inaugurated the Shah Allah Ditta Buddha Caves Preservation Project in Islamabad on Wednesday, a government effort to preserve and promote Pakistan’s Buddhist heritage and shared cultural history. The centuries-old caves have been preserved by the National Heritage and Culture Division, and the inauguration ceremony included a documentary on the caves’ historical background and archaeological significance, including their association with Buddhist worship.
After the inauguration, Hamza Shehbaz Sharif visited the caves, where Secretary National Heritage and Culture Division Asad Rehman Gillani briefed him on the completed preservation work, its key features and its overall cost. Addressing the ceremony, he said the initiative would project Pakistan’s positive and soft image internationally while turning the site into an attractive destination for visitors to explore the country’s cultural heritage. He also called for improved road connectivity to the caves, asking Federal Minister Aurangzeb Khan Khichi to pursue a better and more direct access road, saying it would facilitate visitors, promote local tourism and generate employment and economic opportunities for surrounding communities.
Federal Minister for National Heritage and Culture Aurangzeb Khan Khichi thanked him for inaugurating the project and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting Pakistan’s historic Buddhist heritage. He urged the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) and the media to raise awareness of the site’s historical and religious significance and promote it among domestic and international visitors, particularly those from Buddhist countries. The ceremony was attended by federal ministers, parliamentarians, senior officials and diplomats from Buddhist countries.
What it means for travellers
For travellers passing through Islamabad — the usual gateway for a Gilgit-Baltistan trip — the caves are now a freshly preserved heritage stop worth adding to a capital stopover, especially for visitors interested in Pakistan’s Buddhist and Gandhara heritage. The explicit push for a better access road is the practical detail to watch: the site’s appeal as a day visit depends heavily on how easy it is to reach, and the inauguration itself flagged that connectivity still needs work.
With the PTDC asked to promote the site and diplomats from Buddhist countries in attendance, expect the caves to appear more prominently in Islamabad itineraries and heritage promotion. If you are building an Islamabad stop into a northern trip, this is a good moment to add the caves to the list — but check current access and road conditions locally before going, since the road upgrade was requested, not yet delivered.
Source: Dawn
