The Balochistan government has urged the federal government to hand over more than 1,100 historical artefacts recovered from abroad, arguing that the antiquities belong to the province and should be preserved in its museums under the 18th Constitutional Amendment.
In a letter to the Centre, provincial authorities said that the artefacts were smuggled out of Balochistan over the past two decades and later recovered by authorities in Italy, the United States, France and the United Kingdom before being returned to the Pakistan government.
According to the Balochistan government, all of the recovered objects were excavated from archaeological sites across the province, including the ancient Kuli and Naal sites, and should now be transferred to provincial custody.
Officials maintain that, under the 18th Constitutional Amendment, responsibility for preserving the artefacts rests with the provincial government. They said the objects should be displayed in museums across Balochistan to safeguard the province's cultural heritage and improve public access.
The demand comes after several countries returned smuggled Pakistani antiquities in recent years following investigations into illicit trafficking networks.
Italy handed over a collection of Bronze Age artefacts recovered from the Kuli and Naal archaeological sites during a ceremony in Rome in October 2025. The artefacts arrived in Pakistan later that month, with the Pakistani embassy describing the repatriation as an example of strong bilateral cooperation. Embassy officials said nearly 100 stolen heritage objects had been recovered and returned to Pakistan from Italy over the previous 18 years.
The United States also returned more than 450 cultural artefacts to Pakistan in May 2026 after authorities determined they had been illegally trafficked out of the country. The collection included rare Buddhist sculptures and other historically significant objects.
Similarly, France has returned hundreds of antiquities linked to Balochistan. The recovery followed the seizure of artefacts at Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport in 2006, leading investigators to uncover a larger trafficking network. The subsequent investigation resulted in the recovery of 445 archaeological objects, including ancient vases, busts and goblets dating to the second and third millennia BC, which were later repatriated to Pakistan.
Provincial officials say the return of the artefacts represents an opportunity to preserve Balochistan's archaeological legacy within the province, where they can be properly conserved and made accessible to researchers, students and the general public.
