[CPProt.net] Ex-Pakistani Interior Minister asked to return artifacts

[MSN CPPnet (Ton Cremers)]

Ex-Pakistani Interior Minister asked to return artifacts  
 
www.chinaview.cn 2005-12-31 16:20:49 

    KABUL, Dec. 31 (Xinhuanet) -- Afghanistan's Minister for Information and
Culture Syed Makhdom Raheen in a letter to Pakistan's former Interior
Minister Naseerullah Babir has asked him to return the artifacts of the
war-torn nation, a state-run newspaper reported Saturday. 

    "As you know a major part of Afghan national museum and Afghan artifacts
have been damaged or looted due to war and illegal digging of archeological
sites during the years of instability," daily Anis quoted the letter as
saying. 

    "Some of these relics had been smuggled abroad and some of them are with
you the esteemed brother. So, I am kindly requesting you to return these
artifacts to the Afghan national museum as it has been rebuilt and gotten
the acquired capacity to receive and save the cultural heritages," Raheen
added in the letter. 

    Babir, an expert to Afghan affairs and had personnel relations with
former anti-Soviet resistance leaders as well as Taliban figures, according
to many Afghans, is in possession of invaluable items of Afghan relics
vandalized over the past 25 years of war. Enditem