Huge cache of 2,000 old sculptures from Gandhara civilisation were caught in Karachi, while they were being transported via containers bound for Afghanistan as Afghan transit, or NATO goods, for onward dispatch to destinations in Europe and other nations in the West, where they would be sold for millions of dollars. This stolen state property dug from sites in Northwest of Pakistan was transported to Karachi, and stored there till the announcement of the resumption of Nato supplies.
Any antiquities dug out by Pakistan belong to the state according to International Regulations and UN laws. Yet these items are being auctioned at Sotheby’s and Christie’s in London without any complaints being filed by our High Commissioner, who happens to be a British national, having sworn an oath of loyalty to the Queen and laws of the UK.
If any item of archaeological importance belonging to the UK or any other country in the West were to be smuggled to Pakistan or any other third world country, there would such loud public and official protests by the West painting us as a pariah state. Resolutions would have been moved in the House of Commons, or in the Congress demanding the return of these items along with demands of
the trial of those responsible for this illegal act.
The silence of our government, our foreign embassies and our NA or Senate implies either complicity or tacit approval. Who will guard our heritage if the Pakistan government and its institutions such as FBR, border security, customs, police, ASF, FIA, IB etc fail to do their duty because of massive corruption within these departments.
GULL ZAMAN
Peshawar
It is likely that if they are left in the country they maybe destroyed like what happend to the Bamiyan Buddhas.They maybe preserved elsewhere for future generations to understand what a great and glorious culture that was there.
Lie. Maybe your country does this but Pakistan is logical enough to leave history as-is.
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