NEWYORK: The United States has formally handed over rare and valuable artifacts, worth millions of dollars and previously smuggled or stolen, to the government of Pakistan.
It is pertinent to mention that valuable antiquities that had been smuggled out or stolen from Pakistan have been recovered.
A formal ceremony was held at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office in New York, where Colonel Matthew Bogdanos, head of the Anti-Trafficking Unit, along with other staff, briefed Consul General Aamir Ahmed Atozai on the return of the artifacts.
Speaking on the occasion, he noted that this marks the seventh phase of returning antiquities to Pakistan adding that to date, 550 valuable artifacts have been returned.
He remarked that while the artifacts displayed before them might appear small—and perhaps unremarkable to a layperson—they actually predate even the Greek and Egyptian civilizations.
Pakistan’s consul general Aamir Ahmed Atozai expressed gratitude to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and the Anti-Trafficking Unit on behalf of the Prime Minister, the President, and the people of Pakistan.
He said that he always mentioned that these artifacts do not belong solely to Pakistan but these are a precious asset for all of humanity. He said that people across the globe have the right to view, appreciate, study, and research these artifacts, and to engage with them for their own scholarly and cultural interests.”
Staff from the Pakistan Consulate also attended the ceremony. Documents regarding the return and receipt of these rare and valuable antiquities were signed during the event.
