LHC hears plea seeking return of Koh-i-Noor diamond

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday took up a petition calling for measures to bring back Koh-i-Noor diamond from British Queen Elizabeth-II.

The Lahore High Court bench directed the petitioner to forward his arguments in the case on July 16.

During the hearing, a state counsel informed the court that the law officer who has been tasked to pursue this case was absent.

The petitioner stated that it had come to his knowledge that India too was making efforts for the return of the Koh-i-Noor diamond.

Barrister Javed Iqbal filed the petition seeking directives for the federal government to take measures to bring back the diamond to Pakistan.

In the petition, he claimed that the British had snatched the diamond from Dalip Singh and took it to the United Kingdom (UK).

He said the diamond become part of the crown of Queen Elizabeth-II at the time of her crowning in 1953. Queen Elizabeth had no right to have the Koh-i-Noor diamond as it was a cultural heritage of Punjab, he added.