History comes home

Beneath soft gallery lighting and behind carefully sealed glass cases, fragments of Pakistan's lost past stood reunited with the land they once belonged to, each carrying traces of vanished kingdoms, forgotten rituals and civilisations that flourished thousands of years ago.

The special exhibition 'Legacy Returns Home', inaugurated at the Islamabad Museum on Wednesday, brought together a remarkable collection of antiquities repatriated from the United States after being intercepted in illicit trafficking networks.

More than a ceremonial display, the exhibition, organised by the National Heritage and Culture Division and the Department of Archaeology and Museums, highlights cultural cooperation between Pakistan and the US and the recovery of stolen heritage items.

The displayed collection spans multiple historical periods and includes rare stone and stucco Buddhist sculptures, relic caskets, narrative reliefs of the Gandhara civilisation, a rare gold coin from the Indo-Greek period, as well as terracotta figurines and painted pottery from Balochistan dating back to 7,000 BC.

The exhibition featured antiquities intercepted by US Homeland Security authorities and later handed over to the Consulate General of Pakistan in New York under Article 7(b)(ii) of the UNESCO 1970 Convention and a bilateral agreement signed on January 30, 2024 between Pakistan and the United States.

Speaking at the inauguration, Federal Minister for National Heritage and Culture Aurangzeb Khan Khichi said the repatriation of priceless Pakistani antiquities from the United States reflected a deepening cultural partnership, calling the returned artifacts "a part of Pakistan's soul, history and civilisational identity".

He said the recovered objects were not merely artifacts but symbols of ancient civilisations, artistic excellence and historical continuity, adding that illicit trafficking of antiquities was a "crime against humanity" that deprived nations and future generations of their collective memory and identity.

The minister stated that Pakistan, home to the Indus Valley Civilisation and the Gandhara artistic tradition, possesses one of the world's richest cultural legacies, which continues to attract historians, researchers and scholars globally, and must be safeguarded against illegal excavation, theft and smuggling.

He assured that the government remained committed to strengthening legal, institutional and professional mechanisms for the preservation and recovery of stolen heritage, stressing that international cooperation was essential in combating the illicit trade in cultural property.

Khichi appreciated the cooperation of the US government, law enforcement agencies, Homeland Security authorities, cultural institutions, the District Attorney's Office of New York and the US Embassy in Islamabad in the successful repatriation of the artifacts.

He also acknowledged the dedicated role of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Pakistan's diplomatic missions abroad in facilitating the recovery and return of Pakistan's cultural assets.

Assistant Secretary at the US Embassy in Pakistan S Paul Kapur, attending as guest of honour, said the United States was celebrating 250 years of independence and had successfully preserved its historical heritage, adding that bilateral relations with Pakistan remained strong across multiple sectors.

Secretary National Heritage and Culture Division Asad Rehman Gilani said the exhibition symbolised justice, international cooperation and shared commitment to heritage protection, noting that Pakistan was a signatory to the UNESCO Convention and that the 2024 agreement had expanded collaboration in heritage preservation.

He informed the audience that since 2007 a total of 513 Pakistani cultural artifacts had been repatriated from the United States in different phases, including recoveries in 2007, 2021, 2023, 2025 and 2026.

Director General of the Department of Archaeology and Museums Amanullah described the exhibition as a celebration of the return of priceless pieces of Pakistan's history and identity, saying it would help raise public awareness about the impact of illicit antiquities trafficking.

Minister of State for National Heritage and Culture Huzaifa Rehman, Parliamentary Secretary Farah Naz Akbar, Chairperson of the National Assembly Standing Committee Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar and MNA Tufail Jutt were also present at the event.