US repatriates $13 million worth of stolen artifacts to Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The United States has returned 133 stolen artifacts to Pakistan, valued at over $13 million, according to state-run media reports. This marks the fifth such restitution of cultural heritage items to Pakistan, originating from the ancient Gandhara period.

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According to an article published by Arab News, the artifacts, which include man-made objects like art pieces and tools, hold significant cultural, historical, or archaeological importance.

The global illicit trade in antiquities is a multi-billion-dollar industry, as highlighted in a 2018 report by Standard Chartered Bank. This trade often finances criminal and militant activities, according to the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP).

The return ceremony took place at the Manhattan District Attorney’s office in New York on Tuesday, where the artifacts were handed over. Pakistani Consul General in New York, Aamer Ahmed Atozai, remarked that these treasures would soon be displayed in museums across Pakistan.

An agreement for the repatriation of the artifacts was signed by Consul General Atozai and Assistant District Attorney Matthew Bogdanos, head of the Antiquities Trafficking Unit. Bogdanos expressed his pleasure in returning these “glorious pieces of Pakistani heritage” to a nation with a civilization that spans 5,000 years.

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The collaboration between Pakistan and the US in repatriating stolen artifacts has been ongoing. In 2021, following an investigation into Indian-American art dealer Subhash Kapoor, the US returned 192 stolen artifacts worth around $3.4 million to Pakistan. In August 2022, the US returned an additional 104 artifacts valued at $3.3 million, which were part of a larger collection of antiquities looted from various Asian countries and seized from Kapoor.