LAHORE: A senior lawyer has approached the Lahore High Court for bringing Koh-i-Noor diamond back to Pakistan from the possession of British Queen Elizabeth-II.

Barrister Javed Iqbal Jaffrey filed a petition and alleged that the British snatched the diamond from Daleep Singh, grandson of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, and took it to the UK. He said the diamond became part of the crown of incumbent Queen Elizabeth-II at the time of her crowning in 1953.

The lawyer said the Queen Elizabeth had no right to the Koh-i-Noor. He said in fact the diamond was cultural heritage of Punjab province and its citizens owned it.

The petitioner asked the court to direct the federal government to bring the diamond back to Pakistan.

The Queen and British High Commission in Pakistan have also been made parties to the petition.