Pakistan Embassy in France Confirms Return of Balochistan Artifacts; No Antiquities Left in Embassy Custody

The Pakistani Embassy in Paris has confirmed that the Balochistan artifacts seized in 2006-2007 during an attempted smuggling operation in France have been returned. According to a spokesperson for the embassy, there are currently no antiquities left in the embassy’s possession.

The spokesperson added that the Department of Culture and Archaeology of Balochistan should directly contact Islamabad for the return of the artifacts. Furthermore, the Balochistan government is advised to send an official letter to the federal government to expedite the process.

Earlier, Sohail Rehman Baloch, the Secretary of Culture and Archaeology of Balochistan, informed Geo News that the artifacts were intercepted at a French airport in 2006-2007 while being smuggled out of Pakistan. These items were later handed over by the French government to the Pakistani Embassy in 2019.

Baloch further stated that the Pakistani Embassy has yet to return the artifacts to Balochistan. As a result, the provincial government and the federal Ministry of Archaeology, along with the embassy, have decided to write a letter requesting the immediate return of these important historical objects.

This development underscores the ongoing efforts to preserve Pakistan’s rich cultural heritage and ensure the return of smuggled artifacts to their rightful origin.