Antiquities Act, 1975.

This 1975 act governs how antiquities — ancient objects, sites, and monuments of historical, cultural, or scientific value — are discovered, owned, protected, and dealt with in Pakistan. Section 2 defines an "antiquity" broadly to include ancient products of human activity illustrating art, architecture, custom, religion, or science, as well as ancient sites and national monuments, and (as amended in 1992) defines "ancient" as anything at least seventy-five years old. It also distinguishes "movable" antiquities from "immovable" ones, the latter including archaeological deposits, mounds, burial sites, ancient buildings, and even inscribed rocks or caves.

Section 3 sets up an Advisory Committee, including members of Parliament, to advise the Federal Government on antiquities matters, and Section 4 makes the Federal Government's decision final if there's ever a dispute over whether something legally counts as an antiquity. Sections 5 and 5A deal with unclaimed or newly-found antiquities: the Director-General of Archaeology can take steps to preserve an antiquity with no known owner, and anyone who accidentally discovers a movable antiquity must report it within seven days and preserve it; if the Director-General decides to take it into custody, failing to hand it over is punishable with up to three years' imprisonment, a fine, or both, and the antiquity itself can be forfeited to the government (though the finder may also receive a cash reward if the government does take it over).

Sections 10 through 22 set out how the government can declare an antiquity "protected," restrict repairs or renovations to protected immovable antiquities, direct owners to take preservation measures, and compulsorily acquire protected antiquities where necessary, alongside protections for places of worship from misuse. Sections 25 to 30 regulate the antiquities trade and research access: dealing in antiquities, exporting them, mining or quarrying near antiquity sites, and carrying out archaeological excavation or making copies of protected antiquities all require licences or authorisation.

Section 32 sets a general penalty for violations not otherwise specifically punished — rigorous imprisonment up to six months, a fine up to five thousand rupees, or both — while Section 37(3) allows rules made under the act to carry fines up to two hundred thousand rupees for breaking licence conditions. Section 33 requires that only a Magistrate of the first class or higher can try offences under this act, and Section 34 gives officers power to arrest without a warrant for certain offences, including failing to report a discovered antiquity or illegal dealing, mining, or excavation. Given the act's various amendments since 1975 (in 1978 and 1992, among others), and given that specific rupee figures like these are easily changed by later amendment, anyone relying on the exact penalty amounts should verify them against the current official text.