ISLAMABAD: Priceless archaeological artifacts smuggled from Balochistan to France have been returned to Pakistan after being confiscated by French customs.
The recovered items were first handed over to the Pakistani Embassy in Paris and have now been sent back to Pakistan, as reported by a renowned news outlet.
These artifacts were seized under the 1970 UNESCO Convention, which mandates the return of illegally exported cultural property to their countries of origin.
In recent years, French authorities have intercepted several such artifacts from Balochistan. Once authenticated, they were formally handed over to Pakistani officials in Paris and repatriated.
The Pakistani embassy maintained continuous coordination with the French government throughout the process.
Notably, in 2019, France had also returned 450 artifacts dating back to around 4000 BCE, which were seized more than a decade earlier.
According to AFP, French customs had intercepted a parcel at Paris Airport in 2006 containing 17 clay pots en route to a museum.
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While initially claimed to be over a century old, experts later confirmed the artifacts dated back 2,000 to 3,000 BCE and likely originated from ruins in Balochistan. A year-long investigation led to a raid on the Harris Gallery, where 445 additional artifacts—worth around €139,000—were recovered.
