Islamabad: A collection of ancient artifacts smuggled from Pakistan’s Balochistan province has been returned to Pakistan by French authorities, after being intercepted by French customs in recent years. The items, now back in Pakistan, were earlier handed over to the Pakistani Embassy in Paris.
The antiquities originate from Balochistan and were seized by French customs under the framework of the 1970 UNESCO Convention, which mandates the return of illegally exported cultural property to their countries of origin.
The Pakistani Embassy in Paris remained in contact with French authorities throughout the process, facilitating the formal handover and subsequent dispatch of the items to Pakistan.
This is not the first time France has returned cultural heritage items to Pakistan. In 2019, French authorities repatriated 450 artifacts dating back to the 4th millennium BCE. These were initially confiscated by customs agents at Paris airport in 2006, who intercepted a parcel arriving from Pakistan containing 17 clay vessels intended for a museum.
At the time, experts initially believed the objects were over a century old. However, upon further analysis, they were determined to be between 2,000 and 3,000 BCE in origin, likely looted from archaeological sites in Balochistan.
A year-long investigation followed, including a raid on the Harris Gallery, where authorities uncovered 445 artifacts dating as far back as 4000 BCE. The items were collectively valued at approximately €139,000 (USD 157,000).
