Ancient Artefacts Return Home
Pakistan recovered more than 1,100 artefacts from Italy, the United States and other countries in recent months, with the rare pieces now on display at the Islamabad Museum and accessible to visitors.
Footage filmed on Tuesday shows ancient statues and artefacts on display at the museum.
“We have retrieved more than 1,100 artifacts from different countries of the world. We have again displayed these in museums of Pakistan for our people, our foreign guests and visitors,” said Aurangzeb Khan Khichi, Pakistan’s Minister for National Heritage and Culture.
“To bring these artefacts from abroad back and with full safety and authenticity was a big challenge. Especially the pieces we brought back from Italy were seized by the government since 2007 just because of a no-objection certificate,” he added.
Rare Historical Pieces Displayed
The minister noted that his country is in contact with both Canada and Australia to recover artefacts illegally transported to those two countries, saying, “We will play our due role to bring back all these ancient artefacts that symbolise Pakistan’s national heritage.”
Pakistan has seen a series of repatriations of artefacts smuggled abroad in recent years, as part of cooperation with several countries to combat the illicit trafficking of cultural property.
Pakistan’s Cultural Recovery Efforts
In May 2026, the Pakistani government inaugurated the ‘Legacy Returns Home’ exhibition at the Islamabad Museum following the recovery of 513 artefacts from the United States. Italy also returned seven historical artefacts to Pakistan in June 2026, having previously handed over 90 other artefacts in October 2025.
According to Pakistan’s Ministry of National Heritage and Culture, the recovered pieces include Buddhist sculptures from the Gandhara civilisation, items from the Indus Valley civilisation, as well as artefacts from sites in Balochistan, some of which date back around 5,000 years.
Article by Viory
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