Protests were staged at Mall Road in Lahore Friday afternoon against the hanging of former Punjab Governor Salman Taseer’s assassin, a former elite force commando, on February 29.
Harappan Connections: Exhibition embodies artefacts from Indus
Confirming the theft, Punjab Assembly security supervisor Riaz Ahmed said a mob holding placards and batons entered the assembly building, detained the staff and looted the artefacts.
According to another museum staffer, hundreds of men entered the museum and beat the staffers when they attempted to restrain them from committing the crime.
Seized artefacts belonged to pre-historic era, say officials
He added that police were immediately informed of the incident but they arrived late apparently because they were engaged in maintaining law and order outside the building.
The antiques, including a gift from the Oman’s government, were brought to Pakistan during the second Islamic Summit Conference in 1974.
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In December last year, Pakistan Customs seized antiques at Karachi airport belonging to the ‘pre-historic era’ and worth millions of dollars.
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