Scientist Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA) said that traditional police culture is an obstacle in scientific investigation of crimes.
“Senior police officials created hurdles in scientific investigation of crimes,” said PFSA scientist who wished to be anonymous. He further told that police and forensic scientists had to work together and police were bound to take forensic scientists’ aid for evidence collection during investigations of crimes according to protocol. Police hardly ever sought-after scientists’ help, he grieved.
He also said that police often destroyed evidence that went against important people who were involved in sophisticated crime.
He further said that it was the duty of Crime Scene Investigation Unit of PFSA to ensure the proper identification, preservation, collection, and transportation of evidence from the crime scene to the laboratory, and to keep a proper chain of custody of the evidence on paper. Police do it themselves to transport evidentiary material in sealed boxes and then to the evidence collection unit of PFSA, often damaging or even destroying it, he said.
Police do not believe others can do investigation having outdated mentality, said sources. He also said while talking about the explosion incident in Y-Block market of DHA Lahore, spokesperson Punjab Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) gave a statement that blast was due to some explosives, he lamented that it was the work of forensic scientists, not CTD.
Muhammad Akram, PFSA Director Administration he contradicted these allegations and said that the relationship with police are well and that have no complaint against them. ‘Police and Punjab Counter Terrorism Department fully cooperate and in actual fact, we are doing everything to support police in every single thinkable way,’ Akram said.
He further said that about the matter of explosion in Y-Block market, CTD official had made a mistake under pressure from journalists.
Akram said that about damaged evidence received from police gave PFSA and incomplete evidence, it returned and PFSA did not trail the case.
PFSA is 53 kanals in Thokar Niaz Baig and operates 14 disciplines under a single roof. It has 8 divisional headquarters in Punjab expanded at a cost of Rs 266 million. It had trained over 8,000 personnel in law enforcement agencies and helped United States, Norway, United Kingdom, Egypt and many other countries to solve high-profile cases. The agency has plans of setting up a forensic science laboratory and a specialized university.