Think like an Egyptian
WHEN tour guides in Egypt describe how ancient Egyptian tombs were robbed of their treasures, they include a clarification: we mean by indigenous grave robbers, not the Western archaeologists who took the…
Taxilas no more
IF you have travelled on the Grand Trunk Road, which we insist was built by Sher Shah Suri, towards Peshawar, some 90 kilometres from Islamabad, you come across a town…
Decolonising the museum
IT is sad that a visit to many of the most famous museums in the world feels like a visit to the treasure trove of a global looter. When one…
A culture of neglect
THE Sindh government’s culture department recently invited bids to engage ‘experienced’ event managers to help it organise a weeklong centenary celebration of Mohenjo-Daro next month in London and Paris. One…
New York, a hub for illicit art trafficking
From an ancient Middle Eastern limestone elephant to seventh century Chinese sculptures, New York prosecutors have seized hundreds of priceless artefacts looted from around the globe that have earned it…
FATF: upcoming challenges
The first meeting of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) after Pakistan’s exit from the list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring (commonly known as the Grey List) was held from…
Will money laundering laws end art world’s culture of secrecy?
When a Botticelli painting went under the hammer last month at Sotheby’s in New York for $92 million, it was assumed the buyer was a Russian oligarch since the bidding…
A case for cultural reconstruction
ON Nov 2, 2020, a small ceremony was held at the consulate general of Pakistan in New York City. The occasion was an unusual one: a ceremonial handing over of…
Promoting tourism
The incumbent government is highly optimistic about the amount of revenue it can possibly generate from pioneering initiatives being undertaken for the promotion of tourism in the country. As per…
100 days and still waiting
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government led by Prime Minister Imran Khan seems to have a talent for shooting itself in the foot. By pushing the 100-day deadline for demonstrating its…
