The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday sought comments from federal secretary for Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage, the provincial secretary of the Culture & Heritage department, and others on a petition seeking the retrieval of a bronze statuette commonly known as ‘Dancing Girl of Mohenjo Daro’ from India.
Advocate Abdul Wahab Baloch and Moula Bux Khattian submitted in a petition that the world famous bronze statuette was found from Mohenjo Daro in 1926 along with another fascinating artefact known as ‘King Priest’. They added that the British archaeologist, Sir Mortimer Wheeler took both the artefacts to India in 1946 before the partition for display. The King Priest was brought back by the Pakistani authorities; however, the Dancing Girl was still kept at India’s National Museum in New Delhi.
“The artefact is more than 4500 years old and an integral part of the heritage of the people of Sindh and the Indus Valley Civilization. The figurine wearing bangles around her arms resembles the women of Thar desert,” the petitioners added.
They informed the bench that that they had learnt two years ago that Sindh government was sending a request to India for its return practically no steps had been taken. “Earlier, the federal government brought 13 artefacts belonging to the Gandhara civilization back from several countries in 2009 and it can also bring back the Dancing Girl of the Moen Jo Daro,” Advocate Abdul Wahab Baloch and Moula Bux Khattian maintained.
Citing the federal secretary Information, broadcasting & national heritage, the archeology department’s director general, the Sindh chief secretary, and the provincial secretary of culture and heritage department as the respondents, the petitioners requested the court to direct the federal and provincial governments to make efforts for bringing the famous statuette back to the country. The court was further requested to declare that the artefact was property of Sindh and represents its culture and heritage.
The SHC bench headed by Justice Irfan Saddat Khan, issued notices to the respondents, directing them to file their respective replies in this regard by 7th December 2016.