SC orders establishment of DNA testing laboratory within a year

It would have state-of-the-art equipment to conduct chemical analysis, examinations, says home

KARACHI: The Supreme Court (SC) ordered on Thursday the authorities concerned to complete work on the establishment of a modern DNA testing laboratory in the province within a year.

A two-judge bench, comprising justices Gulzar Ahmed and Maqbool Baqar, gave this direction to the provincial chief secretary, home secretary and others while hearing a case regarding establishment of the DNA testing facility in Karachi.

In 2013, the Sindh Assembly had unanimously passed a resolution calling for DNA identification to be used as primary evidence in rape cases. A bill to this effect had called for DNA testing of rape survivors within 12 hours of the complaint being registered.



In disasters such as the Baldia factory fire, families had to wait for months just to get the test results of the victims' bodies that had been charred beyond recognition.

In such cases, samples are sent to the National Forensic Scientific Agency (NFSA) in Islamabad, which delays the identification. Therefore, the apex court had previously sought a report from the provincial home secretary regarding progress on the establishment of the proposed DNA testing facility in the province.

On Thursday, the judges took up the matter to ask what progress the authorities had made so far. Filing a report, the home secretary informed the judges that the provincial government had allocated funds required for the establishment of the DNA testing laboratory in Karachi in the current fiscal year's budget. He said that the proposed laboratory will have state-of-the-art equipment to conduct 14 different types of chemical analysis or examinations, including DNA and explosives materials.



Justice Ahmed said that the DNA testing laboratory was a crucial facility that the government was going to set up outside the city limits, which would make it inaccessible. He added that such an important laboratory should be set up within the city.

The judge said that the laboratory had not yet been established despite the lapse of considerable time. Officials merely keep talking about the government 'schemes', but nothing practically is done on the ground, he added.

To the bench's query, the home secretary replied that the facility was being set up outside the city limits as chemical analysis of explosives materials would be conducted at the proposed laboratory.



The advocate-general (AG), Barrister Zamir Ghumro, informed the bench that necessary legislation regarding the establishment of the DNA testing laboratory was yet to be done. He said that a draft bill would be presented in the Sindh Assembly for approval. As soon as the law was passed, the testing facility would be established.

The SC bench directed provincial government to ensure the DNA testing laboratory was set up within a period of one year, including passage of the proposed law. However, the AG was directed to submit a progress report by the next date of the hearing.