US returns centuries-old Pakistani artifacts seized from trafficking networks

ISLAMABAD: The United States formally repatriated more than 450 cultural artifacts to Pakistan during a ceremony at the Islamabad Museum on Wednesday, reaffirming bilateral cooperation against the illicit trafficking of antiquities and the protection of cultural heritage.

The repatriated collection includes historically significant artifacts that were illegally removed from Pakistan and later recovered through cooperation between US law enforcement agencies and Pakistani authorities, according to a statement issued by the US Embassy in Islamabad.

The recovered collection features rare archaeological and religious objects linked to the ancient Gandhara civilization, including a 2nd-century C.E. 

Buddhapada sculpture valued at $1.1 million that was looted from Pakistan in the 1980s and trafficked into New York.

Other returned artifacts include a Gandharan frieze depicting Buddhist figures, ancient terracotta figurines from Mehrgarh dating back to 3500–2600 B.C.E., a statue of the Bodhisattva Maitreya, and a Gold Strato I coin from 105–85 B.C.E. recovered in 2023.

According to the statement, the Antiquities Trafficking Unit of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, with support from the US Department of Homeland Security, has recovered and repatriated 514 Pakistani antiquities worth nearly $23 million over the past decade through investigations into international smuggling networks.

Speaking at the ceremony, US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs S. Paul Kapur said the recovered artifacts represented “chapters of Pakistan’s history” that connect generations to their heritage.

“Among these artifacts are terracotta figurines that are more than four thousand years old,” Kapur said. “Each of these objects tells a story. Each belongs to the people of Pakistan. And each now is home.”

Pakistan’s Minister for National Heritage and Culture, Aurangzeb Khan Khichi, welcomed the repatriation and praised cooperation between Pakistani institutions and US authorities.

“Our Department of Archaeology and Museums, with the help of the Foreign Office, worked hard to bring these artifacts back from the United States,” Khichi told Pakistan TV Digital. “We are grateful to the US government for helping us reclaim them.” 

“These artifacts are not merely stones, they are the identity of Pakistan.”

Talking to Pakistan TV Digital, Kapur said the United States would continue working with Pakistan to combat cultural property trafficking and preserve historical heritage.

“This work exemplifies the best of international cooperation, honoring the past, upholding joint goals and creating new opportunities for collaboration and mutual prosperity,” he said.

The artifacts, officials said, will now be preserved and displayed in Pakistan, enabling scholars, researchers, and the public to reconnect with an important part of the nation’s civilizational heritage.