The group is led by Mr. Deeptha Wickramaratna, who serves as the Principal Coordinator and President of the Bodhi Dhamma Buddhist Association, Australia.
Mr. Aurangzeb Khan Khichi formally welcomed the visitors at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA). The delegation was also received by Mr. Asad Rehman Gilani, Secretary of the National Heritage and Culture Division. Rear Admiral Fred Senevirathne (Retd.), High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Pakistan, and Mr. Christy Ruban, Deputy High Commissioner, also greeted the group.
The visiting party includes Dr. E. A. Senarath Dissanayake, Director General of the Department of Archaeology, Sri Lanka, and Professor P. D. Mandawala, a former Director General of the same department. Other members of the delegation include Mrs. Dilrukshi Dias Wickramasinghe, the 46th Solicitor General of Sri Lanka, and Mr. Jagath Sumathipala, a prominent business leader and Buddhist community figure.
Hazara University in Mansehra and Nagananda International Buddhist University (NIIBS) in Sri Lanka signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during the visit. Dr. Shakir Ullah, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Archaeology and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at Hazara University, signed the agreement.
Professor P. Mandawala, the founder of NIIBS, signed the document in the presence of the Federal Minister and Prof. Ikram Ullah Khan, Vice Chancellor of Hazara University. The MoU establishes a framework for joint research, academic programmes, archaeology, Buddhist studies, heritage preservation, and student and faculty exchanges. The delegation visited the Islamabad Museum as part of their itinerary.
Chathura Alwis, a renowned Sri Lankan television presenter and media personality, is documenting the tour for an eight-episode television series to be broadcast in Sri Lanka. The remaining programme includes visits to significant archaeological sites and museums in Taxila, Takht-i-Bahi, Peshawar, and Swat.
Officials also plan to sign a further MoU between the University of Swat and Nagananda International Buddhist University.
