NEW YORK: Thirty-six antiquities stolen from Pakistan and smuggled into the United States have been legally returned to the Pakistani government following a formal handover ceremony in New York.
Pakistan’s Consul General in New York, Aamer Ahmed Atozai, signed the agreement at the New York County District Attorney’s Office, completing the legal process for returning the cultural objects.
The recovered collection includes historically significant artefacts spanning different periods of the region’s ancient civilisation and cultural development.
Moreover, Pakistani officials described the repatriation as an important step towards preserving the country’s archaeological heritage and making it accessible to future generations.
Ancient Yakshi Sculpture Among Returned Artefacts
Among the recovered objects is a Grey Schist Figure of Yakshi dating to the fourth century CE.
Additionally, US authorities returned 35 Terracotta Fertility Figures believed to date from between 3000 and 2700 BCE.
The artefacts had previously been stolen from Pakistan before being illegally transported to the United States.
Their formal return places the objects back under Pakistani government control after the completion of the required legal procedures.
Pakistan Welcomes Recovery of Cultural Heritage
Meanwhile, Consul General Atozai welcomed the repatriation and stressed the importance of recovering cultural objects removed illegally from the country.
He said returning stolen antiquities would help future generations understand their civilisation and cultural heritage.
Consequently, the handover represents another effort to recover archaeological objects that left Pakistan through illicit trafficking.
The returned artefacts cover thousands of years of history, highlighting the archaeological significance of the regions that form modern Pakistan.
Furthermore, their recovery provides authorities with an opportunity to preserve the objects within their historical and cultural context while strengthening efforts to protect Pakistan’s antiquities from illegal trafficking and overseas smugglin
