PESHAWAR: After a three-month exhibition at Korea and an eight-day delay at the Korean Airport, about 40 Gandhara Art’s sculptures returned back to Pakistan via Bacha Khan International Airport Peshawar on Friday.
Sources told Customs Today on Friday that these sculptures were delayed at the Korean Airport but, after a notice-taking by the Federal Board of Revenue, they have been sent back untouched to Pakistan in the same condition.
Khyber PakhtunKhwa remains a center of sculptures of Gandhara Art and often attempts are made to counterfeit the original sculptures.
Customs sources informed CT that earlier in October Anti-Smuggling Mobile Squad of Customs House Peshawar had foiled an attempt to smuggle seven pricy pieces from swat into Punjab. Interrogation revealed that these sculptures were to be smuggled into China.
Often smugglers pay a lot of money to get these sculptures of Gandhara Civilization which are then sold in the international market or gifts of high prices are taken in return to avoid taxes on money transfers.