US Chargé d’Affaires Attends Completion of Mehrgarh Museum Project in Balochistan

KARACHI: US Chargé d’Affaires Natalie Baker attended a ceremony in Karachi marking the successful completion of the American Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) project for the Mehrgarh Museum in Balochistan. Parliamentary Secretary Nawabzada Mir Muhammad Zarin Khan Magsi and the leadership of the Sindh Exploration and Adventure Society (SEAS) also took part.

The project is the first initiative launched under the AFCP in Balochistan.

Completed in partnership between SEAS and the Balochistan Department of Culture, the project preserved archaeological remains from the Neolithic (Stone Age) and the historic Mehrgarh civilisation. The museum’s curation was modernised to international standards, public awareness activities were expanded, and local cultural experts were trained to ensure the long-term care of the remains.

With the completion of this project, the AFCP’s reach now extends to all four provinces of Pakistan, reflecting the United States’ lasting commitment to protecting Pakistan’s rich cultural heritage.

Addressing the ceremony, Natalie Baker stressed the key role of American expertise in achieving lasting results and strengthening mutual trust between the peoples of the two countries.

Baker said: “Today we are delighted that, thanks to high-level American expertise in museums and heritage preservation, the Mehrgarh Museum Balochistan will showcase the [number missing in source]-year-old Mehrgarh civilisation and other historical periods in an outstanding way.

Projects of this kind are proof that American expertise delivers durable and visible results, which not only preserve history but also empower local communities by creating employment opportunities.

The United States and Pakistan are making real progress in protecting this remarkable heritage through partnership.”

During the ceremony, Baker, Parliamentary Secretary Nawabzada Zarin Magsi, and project leads Dr Asma Ibrahim and Dr Kaleem Ullah Lashari unveiled a commemorative plaque. It will be installed at the main entrance of the museum before the official reopening of the Mehrgarh Museum in Quetta later this month.