Karachi: A lower court on Thursday ordered the police to hand over the hundreds of relics of ancient Gandhara civilisation to the archeology department to ascertain whether they were genuine and to secure and preservation.

The judicial magistrate district east ordered the police to hand over 380 artifacts to the National Museum after the museum authorities approached the court. The museum authorities were concerned about the safety of the relics and that they might be stolen again.

A huge catch, almost a truckload, of the relics of Buddha was recently hauled in southern port city of Karachi from where the consignment had to be smuggled somewhere.

Lacking technical expertise, the authorities are still puzzled whether the consignment was original or fake.

Over 300 artifices of Gandhara art including life-size statues of Buddha and about 80 metallic utensils were recovered by the Karachi police.

Initial investigation found that the owners initially transported the seized artifacts from Rawalpindi to Karachi and were stored in a warehouse. The stuff was being sent to Silakot dry port to be exported abroad.

On documents the stuff was shown as mopping brush and plastic material for sweeping and cleaning.

The Archeological Department of the southern Sindh province was seeking possession of the consignment as under Pakistani law even the fake relics of the ancient relics is a criminal offence.

“After initial inspection and examination our archeologists have declared that the relics seized by the police fall into the purview of Antiquities Act 1975,” Abdul Aziz Uqaili, the secretary of culture in Sindh said.

“Unauthorised excavation, transportation and even counterfeiting of the relics come under the act,” he said.

The Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa government is also claiming the custody of the seized relics on the presumption those were excavated from their jurisdiction but it is still neither clear not confirm.

“This is for sure nothing was stolen from any of our museum but it is need to be investigated from where they have dug them out ... most likely from our province,” Aqil Shah cultural minister of Khyber Pakthunkhaw said.