An Antique Land

Every second month or so, Azra flies to Karachi from New York. It is not love for her relatives that brings her to Pakistan; her purpose is to buy ancient Afghan jewellery and other antiques from the local markets, and sell it off in the US. She has been in this business only for the last couple of years, but has already amassed a fortune.

Azra is only one among the many buyers of Afghan antiques available in Pakistani markets. Sold at throwaway prices, these articles fetch a handsome sum abroad. Afghan refugees who brought these artefacts into Pakistan dispose them off without realising either their historical value or material worth. Pakistani markets, especially at Karachi and Islamabad, are brimming with such 'merchandise'. Says Shahid, a shop owner at Zainab Market, one of Karachi's main business centres, "I don't know what is legal or illegal. The Afghan refugees come to our shops, sell us their belongings, whatever they could carry with them during the war, and later on we sell these articles to our customers." Most of his customers are either foreigners or people from uptown areas. "They take lot of interest in this jewellery and offer us very good prices."