Be it the Zainab murder case, Noor Muqaddam case, and dozens of such high profile cases, Punjab Forensic Science Agency lab reports played an important role.
The Punjab Forensic Science Agency has helped the police and law enforcement agencies in solving countless cases over the past decade. On the reports of the same agency, not only the real accused came behind the bars, but many such innocent accused also got relief who were considered by the police as suspects or protagonists in various cases.
Be it the Zainab murder case, the Motorway Rape case, Qandeel Baloch’s honor killing, Noor Muqaddam case, and dozens of such high profile cases, the police were not only able to reach the accused, but on the basis of good investigation and irrefutable evidence, the police were able to arrest the accused. Courts also awarded sentences to them, but few people will know that behind the scenes of all these cases, Punjab Forensic Science Agency lab reports played an important role.
The Punjab Forensic Science Agency has helped the police and law enforcement agencies in solving countless cases over the past decade. On the reports of the same agency, not only the real accused came behind the bars, but many such innocent accused also got relief who were considered by the police as suspects or protagonists in various cases.
But how was the Punjab Forensic Science Agency established, and who is its head, Dr. Ashraf Tahir?
It was in the year 2008 when Dr. Muhammad Ashraf Tahir, who is associated with the field of forensic science from Pakistan, was busy with his work in the forensic lab as usual in America, when he was asked by the then chief minister of Punjab province, Shahbaz Sharif.
Shahbaz Sharif requested Dr. Ashraf Tahir, who was then serving at the laboratory in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, to help Pakistan to build a forensic lab.
When Dr. Ashraf Tahir came to Pakistan in 2008, the project to build a modern lab in Thokar Niaz Baig area of Lahore started, for which he was hired as a consultant.
According to Dr. Ashraf Tahir, after taking charge of Punjab Forensic Science Agency as Director General, he is running this lab as Director General till date.
Dr. Ashraf Tahir told that the same tests are being done in Pakistan to reach the accused, which the FBI does in America or in any other developed countries, and the quality of our tests and their tests are also the same, there is absolutely no difference.
Dr. Ashraf Tahir said that the rate of convictions has increased significantly after the establishment of the forensic lab. “People have got awareness, courts are giving sentences on the basis of forensic evidence, justice has been speeded up.”
According to the head of the Forensic Science Agency, this lab was not only created to send people to jail, but this lab is also doing a great job of saving innocent people.
“33 percent of the accused brought to us by the police are acquitted because there is no forensic evidence against them and the police have to let them go.” This lab is not only designed to put people in jails, but also has a very important role in proving people innocent.
According to Dr. Ashraf Tahir, one-third of the cases that come to him are those in which he tells the police that this is not your accused, find someone else and bring him because he has nothing to do with this case.
Talking about how they stay in touch with the police, Dr. Ashraf Tahir said that the Punjab Forensic Science Agency is a support service for the police.
“Our organization is designed to assist and support the police, prosecution and judiciary were all three agencies can bring evidence to us for forensics.”
He clarified that his team goes to the crime scene only when called by the police, and their response time is a maximum of one and a half hours to reach any place. According to him, his team goes only on the invitation of the police, while ordinary citizens cannot call them, nor do they go.
“Our scientists process the entire crime scene, interview people, collect evidence, seal it, create a chain of custody, then they get it to the police, and then the police take all that evidence to our lab”.
They said that if there is any tampering with their seal, they will know, so the chances of doing it are zero.
Talking about sample collection, Dr. Ashraf Tahir said that it depends on the case as to which evidence is to be collected; it is murder, rape or robbery etc. Samples are also collected on this basis because, according to him, the crime scene of each case is different and unique.
He said that after receiving the sample, it is sent to the respective lab where there are fourteen different labs and the evidence is sent to the respective lab where each section prepares its own reports.
We have a mechanism where we have a policy of preserving such evidence for 35 years. If one is not satisfied with our report, s/he can get his test done by any reliable lab or we can do the test again if s/he applies to us.”
Talking about the possible changes in the report of the forensic lab, Dr. Ashraf Tahir said that it is impossible to tamper with the report of his sample. “Ours is an automated system where every sample has a security feature so that even the Director General cannot alter the report if he wants to because the evidence will come as to which employee has tampered with it and when.”
According to the head of the forensic lab, his report does not go on normal paper, but it has security features which are printed by Pakistan Security Printing Press where currency notes are printed.
Regarding judicial assistance, Dr. Ashraf Tahir says that he has worked in forensic agencies in America for 37 years and not even once has it happened that someone talks about witnesses, but there is only physical evidence.
He said that people in America have been convicted or released after 40, 40 years on DNA report.
According to Dr. Ashraf Tahir, Pakistan was far behind in this matter where there has been more reliance on witnesses, but everyone knows that witnesses are prepared here, and the solution is only in forensic evidence.
“Now here too, the courts have come to know what the physical evidence is, what the forensic evidence is and why it is important, so now there is a demand for forensic reports up to the Supreme Court.”
According to Dr. Ashraf Tahir, he started building a database for the FBI in 1998 and now has the largest database in the world, which contains profile data of 22 to 23 million people.
Since 1998, the United States has solved about six lakh unknown cases on the basis of this data. Due to the data, you can reach the accused within minutes.
I request the government to spend money on this project so that it will not be wasted. This will reduce police costs and speed up investigations and help ensure speedy delivery of justice. This will also reduce the burden of the witnesses.
He further said that no forensic lab can be said to be successful in the world unless it has these three systems namely DNA database, firearm database and fingerprint database.
He told that we have created all three databases in which the number needs to be increased now. Dr. Ashraf Tahir said that we currently have a database of about 50,000 DNA, about 200,000 fingerprints and about 150,000 firearms. With the help of this data, more than seven lakh old cases have been solved so far, which the police did not know anything about for decades.
“I have also spoken to the IG Punjab to share the database with the police forensic lab, as the police has about 30 lakh fingerprint data.”
“If we didn’t have the database, the accused in the Zainab murder case, the Chunian rape case and the motorway rape cases would not have been caught till date.”
Courtesy: BBC