QUETTA – Balochistan government, after searching for a period of 40 years,has successfully managed to retrieve historical artifacts from a storeroomin the National Museum, Karachi.
Over 6,000-years-old, the sculptures include a male, female and animalfigurine, pottery, several coins, stone tools, and beads.
The secretary of culture and tourism in Balochistan, Zafar Buledi calledthe recovery “a landmark achievement” for the provincial government. Healso stated, “There are 20,675 artifacts which have been discovered fromdifferent archaeological sites in Balochistan, Some of which are lying inthe museum in Karachi.”
Most of the relics were recovered from Mehrgarh, 140 kilometers southeastof Quetta.
Intriguingly, the turbans worn by the inhabitants of Balochistan today canbe seen on the male figurines and they also showcase the attire of thewomen who lived in these parts, now part of Balochistan. Lace-like materialaround their waist and necklaces can be seen on the female sculptures.
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The antiquities, which have been repossessed from the Sindh government,will be placed in a museum at Quetta, open to the general public to see,Buledi added. He was hopeful that this will generate millions of Rupees inrevenue as tourists will visit the exhibition.
Independently, the Balochistan government has asked the ministry of foreignaffairs to help in the recovery of over 300 priceless artifacts, which wereimpounded while being smuggled to Italy in 2014. They were handed over toPakistan’s embassy in Rome, by the Italian government, where they nowremain.
Likewise, over 900 artifacts from Balochistan are in the hands of stateofficials in Germany; the authorities are waiting for an official letterfrom Pakistan to begin the processes of sending them back home.
