Repatriated antiquities go on display at Islamabad Museum

ISLAMABAD: A special exhibition showcasing antiquities returned to Pakistan from the United States opened at the Islamabad Museum on Wednesday, bringing together objects recovered after being intercepted in illicit trafficking networks.

Titled Legacy Returns Home, the exhibition has been organised by the National Heritage and Culture Division and the Department of Archaeology and Museums. According to the organisers, the display highlights both the recovery of stolen heritage items and cultural cooperation between Pakistan and the United States.

The collection on display covers several historical eras. It includes stone and stucco Buddhist sculptures, relic caskets, narrative reliefs from the Gandhara civilisation, a gold coin from the Indo-Greek period, and terracotta figurines and painted pottery from Balochistan dating back to 7,000 BC.

The antiquities were intercepted by US Homeland Security authorities and were later handed over to the Consulate General of Pakistan in New York under Article 7(b)(ii) of the UNESCO 1970 Convention and a bilateral agreement signed between Pakistan and the United States on January 30, 2024.

Officials highlight heritage protection

Speaking at the inauguration, Federal Minister for National Heritage and Culture Aurangzeb Khan Khichi said the return of the objects reflected growing cultural cooperation between the two countries. He described the artifacts as "a part of Pakistan's soul, history and civilisational identity".

Khichi said the recovered pieces were not simply museum objects but represented ancient civilisations, artistic achievement and historical continuity. He termed illicit trafficking of antiquities a "crime against humanity" and said it deprived nations and future generations of collective memory and identity.

He said Pakistan, as home to the Indus Valley Civilisation and the Gandhara artistic tradition, possessed one of the world’s richest cultural legacies and that this heritage continued to draw historians, researchers and scholars from around the world. He added that it must be protected from illegal excavation, theft and smuggling.

The minister said the government remained committed to improving legal, institutional and professional mechanisms for preserving heritage and recovering stolen objects, and stressed the importance of international cooperation in tackling illicit trade in cultural property.

He also thanked the US government, law enforcement agencies, Homeland Security authorities, cultural institutions, the District Attorney's Office of New York and the US Embassy in Islamabad for their role in the repatriation process. He further acknowledged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Pakistan’s diplomatic missions abroad for facilitating the recovery and return of cultural assets.

US and Pakistani officials attend ceremony

Assistant Secretary at the US Embassy in Pakistan S Paul Kapur, who attended as guest of honour, said the United States was marking 250 years of independence and had successfully preserved its historical heritage. He added that bilateral relations with Pakistan remained strong in multiple sectors.

Secretary National Heritage and Culture Division Asad Rehman Gilani said the exhibition represented justice, international cooperation and a shared commitment to protecting heritage. He noted that Pakistan was a signatory to the UNESCO Convention and said the 2024 agreement had broadened cooperation in heritage preservation.

Gilani told the audience that since 2007, a total of 513 Pakistani cultural artifacts had been repatriated from the United States in different phases, including recoveries in 2007, 2021, 2023, 2025 and 2026.

Director General of the Department of Archaeology and Museums Amanullah said the exhibition marked the return of valuable parts of Pakistan’s history and identity and would help increase public awareness about the effects of illicit antiquities trafficking.

Minister of State for National Heritage and Culture Huzaifa Rehman, Parliamentary Secretary Farah Naz Akbar, Chairperson of the National Assembly Standing Committee Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar and MNA Tufail Jutt were also present at the event.