Country Summary for PAKISTAN

Definitions

“Ancient” in relation to an antiquity, means an antiquity which has been in existence for a period of not less than 75 years. (Antiquities Act, § 2(b))

“Antiquity” means:

(i) any ancient product of human activity, movable or immovable, illustrative of art, architecture, craft, custom, literature, morals, politics, religion, warfare or science or of any aspect of civilization or culture.

(ii) any ancient object or site of historical, ethnographical, anthropological, military or scientific interest;

(iii) any national monument; and

(iv) any other object or class of such objects declared by the Federal Government, by notification in the official Gazette, to be an antiquity for the purposes of this Act. (Antiquities Act, § 2(c))

“Director General” means the Director General of Archaeology. (Antiquities Act, § 2(d))

“Export” means taking out of Pakistan by land, sea or air. (Antiquities Act, § 2(f))

Registry

Whoever discovers, or finds accidentally, any movable antiquity shall inform the Director General within seven days of its being discovered or found. (Antiquities Act, § 5A(1))

Every dealer in antiquities shall maintain a register in such manner and form as the Director General may prescribe from time to time. (Antiquities Act, § 25(1))