{"id":34253,"date":"2025-02-18T19:53:35","date_gmt":"2025-02-18T14:53:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dailysapehertimes.com.pk\/?p=34253"},"modified":"2025-02-18T19:53:35","modified_gmt":"2025-02-18T14:53:35","slug":"islamabad-based-diplomats-and-their-families-visited-zaildar-house-in-taxila-on-sunday-to-immense-themselves-with-the-rich-and-diverse-culture-of-pakistan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sapeher.dailysapehertimes.com.pk\/?p=34253","title":{"rendered":"Islamabad-based diplomats and their families visited Zaildar House in Taxila on Sunday to immense themselves with the rich and diverse culture of Pakistan"},"content":{"rendered":"

TAXILA: Islamabad-based diplomats and their families visited Zaildar House in Taxila on
\nSunday to immense themselves with the rich and diverse culture of Pakistan, especially
\ntraditional food, ancient black stone carving art, horse dance and the local sports of stone
\nlifting.<\/p>\n

Social figures Zaildar Ahsan Shah and Zaildar Zaheer Shah have been hosting the Orange
\nFestival for foreign diplomats for the last 12 years to facilitate their visit to Taxila – the
\nancient
\ncity of Gandhara and Buddhist civilizations.<\/p>\n

\"\"The dance of horses on drumbeats and the traditional sports of stone lifting and the world
\nfamous citrus Khanpuri oranges were the centre of attraction among the diplomats and their
\nfamilies, especially children.<\/p>\n

The diplomats belonging to different countries took keen interest in Pakistan\u2019s traditional
\nculture, music, local crafts and delicious cuisine, especially Pan and Gol Gappay.<\/p>\n

Various stalls were arranged to exhibit artifacts of Gandhara art, featuring finely crafted
\njewelry and pottery made from marble and stone. Participants expressed admiration for the
\nexquisite items displayed on the stalls. Additionally, stalls set up by the Pakistan Romanian
\nFriendship Association were organized to offer shirts featuring Romanian prints as gifts.<\/p>\n

Acting Dean of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassador of Yemen Mohammad Motahar
\nAlashabi, Dean of Corps of Service Attaches (COSA) Brig General Abu Rubel Shahabuddin
\nand Adviser to Prime Minister on Legal Affairs Barrister Aqeel Malik, Mr Touqeer Shah, MNA
\nFarah Naz were present on the occasion while Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider was the
\nchief guest.<\/p>\n

In his welcoming address, Mr. Zaildar Ahsan Shah warmly welcomed the Chief guest and 200
\nforeigner diplomats from more than 70 countries. Mr. Zaildar Ahsan Shah said Taxila was the
\ncentre of the ancient Gandhara civilization and even today tourists from all over the world visit
\nit. Especially, history students come here to research and study the bygone civilization.
\nFurthermore, he emphasized that the primary objective of the Orange Festival is to bring
\ntogether diplomatic families at Zaildar House, fostering a sense of respect and affection for
\nthese families while introducing them to Pakistan\u2019s rich traditions and culture. The Orange
\nFestival serves as a gateway to the diverse cultural heritage, presenting a genuine and positive
\nimage of Pakistan to the global community. He stated that Pakistan values its friendly nations
\nand will work together towards the country\u2019s growth, expressing hope that these efforts will
\nhelp Pakistan thrive.<\/p>\n

\"\"\u201cTaxila, located at the crossroads of many great civilizations is a holy land for the followers of
\nBuddhism. There are over 30 sacred historical sites located in the area and efforts are being
\nmade to declare Taxila as a World Heritage City\u201d.<\/p>\n

The dean of COSA said that the orange festival provides a window to the diverse cultural
\nheritage and showcase the real Pakistan to the world. He expressed his gratitude to Zaildar
\nHouse for organising such activities for the diplomatic community.<\/p>\n

The acting dean of the diplomatic corps and ambassador of Yemen termed Pakistan a hub of
\nrich cultural heritage with devised landscapes and scenes. He said Pakistan has much to offer
\nto tourists with its unique culture and such events would play a pivotal role in better
\nunderstanding about the country and its people. He said activities like the orange festival are<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nan excellent way to bring the diplomatic community closer to the culture, history and people
\nof Pakistan<\/p>\n

The Punjab governor appreciated the efforts of the organisers for holding the festival
\ncontinuously for 12 consecutive years and said they were celebrating a day where all aspects
\nof Pakistan\u2019s culture were present including local sports.<\/p>\n

He said the orange festival has also become popular among the diplomatic community. He said
\nthat such events are a great way to introduce the diplomatic community to Pakistan\u2019s people,
\nculture and history.<\/p>\n

He said the presence of a large number of foreign ambassadors along with their families will
\nnot only show the positive face of Pakistan to the world but will also improve tourism. He said
\nhe has invited Dutch and German hockey teams to Governor House and told them that Pakistan
\nwas a peaceful country.<\/p>\n

\"\"To conclude the event, guests gathered in the patio and foyer area, where an extravagant spread
\nwas prepared. The food display was exceptional, featuring a wide range of Pakistani dishes
\nsuch as Chicken Tikka, Malai Boti, Rice, and Qourma. For dessert, Kheer and Carrot Halwa
\nwere served in an elegant presentation.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

TAXILA: Islamabad-based diplomats and their families visited Zaildar House in Taxila on Sunday to immense themselves with the rich and diverse culture of Pakistan, especially traditional food, ancient black stone carving art, horse dance and the local sports of stone lifting. Social figures Zaildar Ahsan Shah and Zaildar Zaheer Shah have been hosting the Orange […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":34255,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[63,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34253","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-63","category-pakistan-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sapeher.dailysapehertimes.com.pk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34253","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sapeher.dailysapehertimes.com.pk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sapeher.dailysapehertimes.com.pk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sapeher.dailysapehertimes.com.pk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sapeher.dailysapehertimes.com.pk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=34253"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sapeher.dailysapehertimes.com.pk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34253\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34256,"href":"https:\/\/sapeher.dailysapehertimes.com.pk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34253\/revisions\/34256"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sapeher.dailysapehertimes.com.pk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/34255"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sapeher.dailysapehertimes.com.pk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=34253"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sapeher.dailysapehertimes.com.pk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=34253"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sapeher.dailysapehertimes.com.pk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=34253"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}