TAXILA: Officials of the federal department of archeology and museums are still clueless about 81 rare antiquities, including the priceless statues of Greek god and goddess, which were ‘stolen’ from the Taxila Museum 17 years ago.

So far, not a single piece has been recovered or any official punished for their negligence.

On December 16, 1999, the 81 antiquities of Gandhara civilization mysteriously disappeared from the museum.

These pre-BC era antiquities, discovered by Sir John Marshall during 1913-35, also included a statue of Greek god Dionysus known as god of wine and a statue of Aphrodite, the goddess of love.

The authorities have failed to get any clue to these antiquities and an inquiry in this regard has been put in the cold storage. Police officials deputed on the security duty at the museum and the museum’s own guards held each other responsible for the ‘theft.’

It may be mentioned that four years ago seals belonging to the Indus civilization were stolen from the Moenjodaro Museum. In that case, the then curator of the museum, Abdul Hameed Jatoi, was suspended and later terminated from service.

But the officials of the Taxila Museum responsible for the negligence and dereliction of duty are still enjoying perks and privileges without facing any action.

What is surprising is how 81 precious antiquities were stolen at night when over a dozen police and security guards were deputed at the museum to ensure its security.

Many believe that these valuable antiquities, worth millions of dollars, were stolen by some organised groups in collusion with the police and security guards.

The administration’s efforts to bury the case under the carpet are also raising several questions. Why no action was taken against the staff for negligence even if they did not play a role in the disappearance of the articles and why the case was not pursued vigorously.

Those interested in preserving the cultural heritage of Pakistan believe that the federal government should constitute a committee of experts to see how these antiquities were stolen, what was the modus operandi used by the ‘thieves’, determine the involvement of the staff, if any, and ascertain whether or not these items had been smuggled out of the country.

If the items have not been smuggled out, efforts should be made to recover them and if they have been taken out, Interpol should be approached.

It is also intriguing that the museum has not installed any alarm system in the building. These questions remain unanswered by the authorities concerned for over 17 years.

Despite repeated attempts, the director general of the Punjab archeology department could not be contacted for comments. However, deputy director Irshad Khan said the inquiry was carried out by the federal department of archaeology as the antiquities were stolen before the devolution of the department under the 18th amendment.

Federal Archaeology Department Director General Arif Khan told Dawn that he was not aware of the case as the theft had occurred before he took charge of the department.

However, deputy director of the department Mehmoodul Hassan Shah said the departmental inquiry and the police investigation had come to a dead end.

Published in Dawn, March 25th, 2016