Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Pakistan, Alisher Tukhtaev on Monday highlighted the centuries-old cultural, spiritual, and historical ties between Uzbekistan and Pakistan, describing the two nations as ‘one family bound by history and faith’.He was addressing the opening session of the International Conference on Pakistan-Uzbekistan: A Shared Cultural History, organized by the Embassy of Uzbekistan in collaboration with the MUSLIM Institute here at the Islamabad Club.Ambassador Tukhtaev said the legacies of Amir Temur, the Timurid dynasty, and Zahiriddin Muhammad Babur, along with the literary heritage of Alisher Navoi, Abdurahman Jami, and Allama Iqbal, continue to inspire both nations. “Our great cities – Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva, Lahore, Multan, and Karachi – have for centuries served as centers of learning and enlightenment in the Islamic world,” he added.The envoy underscored recent initiatives to enhance cultural exchanges, including the establishment of the Uzbekistan Tourist Information Centre in Islamabad and the UzbekPak Cultural Centre in Karachi, along with tourism festivals, exhibitions, and food festivals that showcased Uzbekistan’s heritage in Pakistan. He also announced a forthcoming photo album, Uzbekistan Through the Eyes of Pakistani Photographers, highlighting Uzbek landscapes and culture.Tukhtaev emphasized the importance of cultural diplomacy as a bridge to the future, pointing to growing university collaborations, student exchanges, and proposals for joint research in history, archaeology, linguistics, literature, and the arts. He also called for expanded cooperation in restoring tourism sites and developing new Silk Road routes.“Conferences like this are not just academic exercises, they are platforms to build trust, strengthen friendship, and promote solidarity,” he said. “Pakistan and Uzbekistan are not two nations; we are one family. Our history is the same, our culture is the same, and our hearts beat together.”The conference was attended by prominent Pakistani and Uzbek scholars, policymakers, and diplomats, including Sultan Muhammad Ali, founder of the MUSLIM Institute; Sardar Masood Khan, former President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir; General (Retd.) Ehsanul Haq, former Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee; Dr. Azmat Ziyo, Member of the Uzbek Senate and Director of the Institute of History; Sahibzada Sultan Ahmed Ali, Chairman MUSLIM Institute; Major General (Retd.) Khalid Amir Jafari, President of the Center for South Asia and International Studies; and senior academics from Pakistan and Uzbekistan.
