Over 100 stolen artifacts worth over $13 million were returned to Pakistan during a ceremony at the Manhattan District Attorney’s office in New York on Tuesday.
The United States handed over 133 pieces of stolen antiquities, marking the fifth such transfer to Pakistan.
These valuable art pieces, dating back to the Gandhara period, were stolen from Pakistan.
Pakistan Consul General in New York, Aamer Ahmed Atozai, accepted the artifacts on behalf of the Pakistani government.
Atozai expressed gratitude to the district attorney’s office, its antiquities trafficking unit, and Homeland Security Investigations for their efforts in recovering Pakistan’s stolen cultural treasures.
Some of the recovered antiquities were displayed at the ceremony.
A post on X, formerly known as Twitter, by the Pakistan Consulate General stated that Atozai informed attendees that the recovered pieces would be showcased in museums across Pakistan.
The post also mentioned that the consul general signed an agreement with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
Assistant District Attorney Matthew Bogdanos expressed his delight at the return of these “glorious pieces of Pakistani heritage” to a country with a civilization dating back 5,000 years.
