Being a student of archaeology I am in the habit of comparing the past with the present and somehow end up thinking that the ancient people were more advanced, sophisticated, civilised and intellectually sound.
The region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) has gone through many difficult stages of history. Alexander ravaged it coming all the way from Macedonia; the Scythians and the Kushans from Central Asia too wreaked havoc on the entire region. But then there were some amazing times too when KP was the centre of propagation for peace through Buddhism. One of the first universities of the world was constructed here (Takht-i-Bahi and Taxila) and eventually this place became the seat of learning. Students from all over the Buddhist world came to learn sutras, religion, languages and other sciences (the phenomenon which modern day educationists call internationalisation).
The origin of the Indus Valley civilisation can be traced back to ancient KP that later on gifted the world the science of civil engineering and town planning. The emergence of Hinduism can easily be traced from this very region. Until recent times, this province was the centre of multicultural activities (internationalisation), and I am sure that all this happened because of good governance, administration and
through sincere commitment practiced by the ancient people.
Pakistan is blessed with various natural and cultural resources which include a rich history too. There are approximately 5,000 archaeological sites only in KP (many others have not been explored yet in other provinces). Despite extraordinary wonders, which perhaps we do not deserve because we have not learnt from our glorious past nor do we feel proud of our cultural heritage, the country has never capitalised on its glorious assets and as a result is facing many problems and turmoil. Another factor is bad governance.
