Is Metal Detecting Legal in Pakistan? What the Law Says

None of the laws below restrict owning a detector. They regulate what you find, where you dig, and what you must do next. Hobby detecting on a beach, in your own field or on land where the owner has given permission is the normal, everyday use.

The Antiquities Act 1975 defines an ancient object as one that has existed for at least 75 years. Under it, the ownership of all buried antiquities belongs to the government (section 13A).

If you discover or accidentally find a movable antiquity — old coins, pottery, statues, inscribed objects — you must inform the antiquities authority within seven days (section 5A). Failing to do so can mean up to three years’ imprisonment, a fine or both, and the object is forfeited.

Excavation or exploration for archaeological purposes is allowed only under a licence (section 29), with the same maximum penalty. After the 18th Amendment, antiquities are handled by the provinces; in Karachi and the rest of Sindh that is the Sindh Culture, Tourism & Antiquities Department.

This older law is still on the books. It treats "treasure" as anything of value hidden in the soil. A finder must give written notice of the find, where it was found and its approximate value to the Collector (the district revenue office, in practice the Deputy Commissioner’s office), and either deposit it in the nearest government treasury or give security that it will be produced when required.

The Collector then decides who owns it, and the government can acquire it. Keeping quiet about a find is an offence under the Act, and the finder loses any share they might have received.

Never take a detector onto an archaeological site such as Banbhore, Makli or Mohenjo-daro, or around a notified heritage building. In Sindh, the Sindh Cultural Heritage (Preservation) Act 1994 protects notified heritage premises; damaging or altering them can bring up to three years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh, or both (section 18).

Get the owner’s permission before searching private land, and ask before detecting in areas run by DHA, cantonment boards or KMC. Digging on someone else’s land without permission is trespass, whatever you find.

Ask permission first. Stay away from protected sites. Report anything that looks old or valuable instead of selling it. Fill every hole you dig. Keep a simple note of where each find came from — it protects you if a find turns out to be significant.