Pakistan, July 4 -- The Balochistan government has urged the federal government to hand over more than 1,100 historical artefacts recovered from abroad, arguing that the antiquities belong to the province and should be preserved in its museums under the 18th Constitutional Amendment.

In a letter to the Centre, provincial authorities said that the artefacts were smuggled out of Balochistan over the past two decades and later recovered by authorities in Italy, the United States, France and the United Kingdom before being returned to the Pakistan government.

According to the Balochistan government, all of the recovered objects were excavated from archaeological sites across the province, including the ancient Kuli and Naal sites and should...