Embassy announces with great pleasure the repatriation of seven (7) historical artefacts recovered by ‘Guardia di Finanza’ of the Italian Ministry of Economy & Finance of the friendly Italian Republic. The artefacts were handed over to our Consulate General Milan in April 2025 and arrived in Islamabad today. 

The Embassy recalls with equal pleasure that 90 artefacts were repatriated to Pakistan in October 2025, seized in 2007 by ‘Carabinieri Command for Protection of Cultural Heritage’, established under Italian Ministry of Culture. 

Both States hold salience for being largest destinations for historical heritage sites, museums and storage facilities and are actively engaged in enhanced bilateral technical cooperation in fields of ‘Archaeological Research, Heritage Conservation, Capacity Building & Professional Training’. 

A dedicated ‘Italian Archaeological Mission’ was founded in Swat in as early as 1955 by Professor Giuseppe Tucci who was awarded Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Crescent of Distinction-1959), whereas Italian Professors Luca Olivieri & Valeria Piacentini were decorated with Sitara-e-Imtiaz (Star of Distinction-2016) and Tamgha-e-Pakistan (Medal of Pakistan-2025) for their services in Archaeology. 

Pakistan prides its unrivalled status as a ‘Cradle of Civilizations’ from 7000 years old ‘Mehr Garh’ in Balochistan to Star of Bronze Era, the 5000 years old ‘Indus Valley Civilization’ stretching from Mohenjo Daro Sindh to Harrappa Punjab and the 2000 years old ‘Gandhara Buddhist Civilization’ in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Punjab also hosts the two ‘walled cities’ namely the 5000-years old Multan, affectionately called ‘City of Saints’, and the 4000-years old Lahore. 

Recoveries and return of smuggled Pakistani heritage from Italy reflect robust mechanisms against illegal networks, commitment to preservation of heritage and excellent diplomatic cooperation between the two friendly nations. 

Embassy conveys appreciation to ‘Carabinieri Command’ and ‘Guardia di Finanza’ as well as to ‘Office of Export Licensing’ at Italian Ministry of Culture for their support in recoveries and ensuring smooth processing of necessary documentation required for repatriation of invaluable and timeless artefacts.

Pakistan Embassy – Rome
June 18th, 2026.