Give us back the Koh-i-Noor, says Pakistan Lawyer
August 01, 21
(IDEX Online) - A lawyer in Pakistan is urging the government to retrieve the iconic Koh-i-Noor diamond from Britain.
It's the latest of many twists in the history of the 105.6-ct Type IIa D-color gem, which has been the center-piece of Queen Elizabeth's crown since her coronation in 1953.
Ownership of the stone is a matter of bitter debate, with India, Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan all laying claim to it.
Barrister Javed Iqbal has now filed a petition at the Lahore High Court, as part of long-running legal move, seeking directives for the federal government to take measures to bring back the diamond to Pakistan.
He says Maharaja Duleep Singh, the last ruler of Punjab, was forced to relinquish his claim of sovereignty -and the Koh-I-Nor diamond - after losing the second Anglo-Sikh war in 1849.
He says the diamond belongs to Punjab and must be returned.
Pic shows the Koh-i-Noor diamond loose, and set in Queen Elizabeth's crown