Almost one hundred pilfered artifacts valued at over $13 million were returned to Pakistan on Tuesday during a ceremony held at the Manhattan district attorney’s office in New York.
In the fifth such transfer, the United States gave back the 133 stolen treasures to the nation.
The priceless works of art from the Gandhara era were taken from Pakistan.
On behalf of the Pakistani government, Aamer Ahmed Atozai, the consul general of Pakistan in New York, accepted the artifacts.
Atozai thanked Homeland Security Investigations, the district attorney’s office, and its antiquities trafficking team for their efforts in locating Pakistan’s stolen cultural treasures on this special day.
A few of the found antiques were also exhibited at the celebration.
According to a tweet by the Pakistan Consulate General on X, formerly Twitter, Atozai informed the ceremony attendants that the retrieved items would be shown in Pakistani museums.
It said the consul general also inked a contract with the Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg.
At the event, Assistant District Attorney Matthew Bogdanos expressed his happiness that these “glorious pieces of Pakistani heritage” had been returned to Pakistan, a country with a 5,000-year-old civilization.
CG @atozai signed an agreement with @ManhattanDA for return of 133 stolen Pakistani artifacts. Greatly appreciate the spl investigations team @HSI_HQ ensuring 🇵🇰 cultural antiquities are recovered from smuggling racketeers & rightfully returned to their region of origin. pic.twitter.com/Uk6zsvAQlq
— Pakistan Consulate General New York (@PakinNewYork) May 21, 2024
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