A general view of the main stupa is seen after it was discovered and unveiled to the public during a ceremony at the Buddhist-period archaeological site near Haripur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan, November 15, 2017. REUTERS/Saad Sayeed

HARIPUR: Pakistan unveiled the remains of a 1,700-year-old sleeping Buddha image on Wednesday, part of an initiative to encourage tourism and project religious harmony in the troubled region.

A reflection of the diverse history and culture of the South Asian country, the ancient Buddhist site in Bhamala province was first discovered in 1929.

Eighty-eight years on, excavations resumed and the 14-metre-(48-foot)-high Kanjur stone Buddha image was unearthed, with opposition leader Imran Khan presiding over Wednesday?s presentation.

?This is from the 3rd century AD, making it the world?s oldest sleeping Buddha remains,? Abdul Samad, director of Bhamla?s archaeology and museums department, told Reuters.

?We have discovered over 500 Buddha objects and this 48-foot-long sleeping Buddha remains,? he added.

?It?s a question of preserving these heritage sites which are an asset for our country,? Khan said.

The region was once the centre of Buddhist civilization that took root under the Mauryan king Ashoka 2,300 years ago.

The presentation of the Buddha image coincided with a lockdown of major highways around the nation?s capital to contain a protest by members of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party.

Minority communities are often targeted in Pakistan and there has been a reluctance to embrace the country?s non-Muslim heritage.

However, recent attempts to improve Pakistan?s image have included overtures to minority communities by the PML-N.

In January, the then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif inaugurated the restoration of Hindu temples at Katas Raj in Punjab province.

Considered a conservative figure, Khan said Wednesday the preservation of sites like Bhamala could promote religious tourism.

?It?s a world heritage site (and) because of it people can come for religious tourism and see these places,? he said.

Khan dismissed the protesters in Islamabad, seeking to project a more tolerant image of Pakistan.

?It?s a very small part of what is happening in Pakistan. The majority of the population wants to see such sites restored.?

Khan?s opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party is hoping to make big gains in the 2018 elections as the PML-N has been increasingly embroiled in corruption investigations.

Sharif resigned as prime minister in July after the Supreme Court disqualified him for not declaring a source of income and faces trial before an anti-corruption court.