Archaeological artefacts: NA body says concerned at illegal export

Business Recorder reported that Pakistan's government retrieved and brought back 1,252 historic artefacts from the United States, Australia, Italy and other nations over the past year. The same report said a National Assembly panel voiced unease about illegal digging, smuggling and unapproved shipment of such objects abroad.

At a meeting on Tuesday chaired by MNA Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar, the standing committee on national heritage and culture asked the ministry to present, at its next sitting, its safeguards, its capacity to authenticate objects and a record of artefacts returned over the previous five years. Officials also told lawmakers that UNESCO support of USD 75,000 each reached Moenjodaro and Makli in 2022 for monsoon-related recovery, while USD 49,139 was provided in 2025 for Takht-i-Bahi and Sahr-i-Bahlol.

The committee also backed a plan for voluntary academic guidance to CSS candidates at the National Library of Pakistan, while cautioning that it must stay within the library's mandate and available resources and that attendance records be kept.