Pakistan

Pakistan to seek international help as DNA tests come back negative

DNA samples to be sent to International Data Bank for identification.

June 18, 2011

DNA tests on four terrorists who were killed during the May 22 attack on PNS Mehran have come back negative.

Results of DNA samples collected from the four terrorists who were killed during the raid on the naval base in Karachi, was matched up against a national database. However, authorities were unsuccessful in establishing the identity of the terrorists.

The DNA samples will now be sent to the International Data Bank for identification.

NADRA said that the tests would make it clear that attackers were not locals since their record could not be found. The government had subsequently based its claim that the attackers were foreigners on this report.

Analysts, however, say that the failure to establish the terrorists' identity could be a result of NADRA's imperfect database of Pakistani citizens.

At least ten people were killed and two Naval P3-C Orion surveillance aircraft were destroyed in the terrorist attack on the base.

COMMENTS (37)

Aristo | 13 years ago | Reply NADRA has millions of illegal foreigners registered as Pakistanis, including some high profile terrorists as well. One staring expample is of Abdolmalek Rigi, the Jundallah Commander-in-chief, who Iran finally caught in an inspiring operation and hanged, he apparently had an original NADRA pak CNIC, how abt that. Our armed forces including FIA have proven to be grossly incompetent nincopmpoos when it comes to strict - zero tolerance border control / immigration. It is a known fact in Pak that to get a passport for a legitimate Pakistani one has to go through various challenges (barring Pak Elite of-course) but illegal foreigners can get it easily as compared. NADRA has zero, cipher, nada, null credability as far as I am concerned.

Adnan | 13 years ago | Reply @Bangash: anyone who lives in Pakistan knows QUITE well that there are many occasions that yuo are asked for your NIC. You need to learn basics about life in Pakistan before making such lame comments

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Ishrat Salim | 13 years ago | Reply DNA is a medical term & it is the work of forensic investigators to match each person with available datas from the family of each person...so NADRA has never done that ,hence cannot claim to do so...nothing to do with it...?? only finger print matching is NADRA`s domain in such cases...so all this talk of NADRA trying to do DNA test is all BS....first try to understand what is DNA & its related results from Google before even commenting....we do not hv basic forensic experts & we are looking to match these guys thru DNA...ha..ha...ha.This is called height of " intellectual bankruptcy "....imagine we hv come down to this level....commenting for the sake of just commenting is like opposing for the sake of opposition....this is what the culture we hv built around us.

ggg | 13 years ago | Reply As there is no record in database, that database will surely return the match negative :)

Aliana | 13 years ago | Reply Only one picture is released to Media, It is learned that rest of the three killed are SANDOES and have tattoos on their arms. In which army the SANDOES have tattoos on their arms?

informant | 13 years ago | Reply As an expert in the genomics field, I agree with most of you that the idea of any government body having a comprehensive genetic DNA bank on every individual is purely absurd. Actually, there are less than ten people in the world who have had their entire genomes sequenced. What they CAN do, however, is look for specific markers, or SNPs, to make educated guesses as to the ethnic/racial background of the individual. Now, using such methods, it would be quite easy to separate say, a white person from Ireland from a "typical" Pakistani. However, the problem is that Pakistanis have some of the most heterogeneous genetic makeup, so it would be a slippery slope... Another real possibility is as follows. When the U.S., etc does raids on terrorist hideouts, they frequently take samples which can be used to produce genetic "fingerprints."

Watch Capitol Punishment 2011 Online for Free | 13 years ago | Reply Lol I agree with you ChotaChetan, they should also send it to mars, that would be much more appropriate.

Observer | 13 years ago | Reply @Tariq Jameel: Good point. I think the agencies are trying to concoct a lie that the attack was committed by Hindus, Jews and Christians from other countries.

Akthar | 13 years ago | Reply So, Rehman malik was right! They were Aliens from star wars with a universal conspiracy by different galaxies to destroy pakistans strategic assets (P3C orions). Along with local groups like CIA, RAW....... Now new groups have come into vogue! & 97% of you trolls made fun of poor Rehman & ISI. ISI had taken photos but these photo's came 99% blurred. ;)

Nadeem Ahmed | 13 years ago | Reply Although its impossible in next one million years, suppose all of us have DNA record with NADRA, then how difficult is to erase data from their own records when they can erase and restore data (Saleem Shehzad case) in third party's confidential records.

Khan | 13 years ago | Reply To all self proclaimed righteous commentators there is a thing called google would you ever consider using it ?? just type "DNA fingerprinting" and you will know your answer. "In forensics, DNA fingerprinting doesn't require actual fingerprints, which may or may not be left behind at crime scene. Because all of the DNA sections are contained in every cell, any piece of a person's body, from a strand of hair to a skin follicle to a drop of blood, may be used to identify them using DNA fingerprinting".) Every single human is unique ... even a single hair can show which part/race of the world you belong to. I don't know what else NADRA stores but at least it can match fingerprints which it does has from majority of local population.

ChotaChetan | 13 years ago | Reply They should also send it to mars as well, as Rehman Malik thinks that the terrorists were Star Wars characters probably sent by Darth Vader.

khan | 13 years ago | Reply Funny as hell. NADRA does not has dna database. Which is used by giving tissue sample like blood, oral mucosa etc.

Akhtar Nawaz | 13 years ago | Reply This is probably a case of wrong reporting. NADRA must have matched the finger prints of the dead terrorists against the national database of finger prints. FYI: NARDA's computers take 7 secs to go through the entire database of over 70 million finger prints. Source? I worked there. :)

chicken | 13 years ago | Reply I never gave DNA test to nadra? What are they talking about?

Dr Khan | 13 years ago | Reply What naive comments. You don't need the sample of each citizen to map and generate the national dna database. At least have a preliminary reading of the subject first before shooting the comments on technical matters. The DNA database (anywhere in the world) is generated and maintained on sample populations of different ethnic and race groups from different areas and clans. You even don't need to take samples from the public as there are several existing sources available like criminals, blood donors, patients, autopsies etc. I do not know about the state of NADRA's DNA database, but thats the way the things are done and NADRA do maintain one of the world's largest population resource databases.

dofs | 13 years ago | Reply @alina: maybe only media has one photo of the terrorist. dnt make your stupid opinons on baseless accusations. *rishat chaiye!

Ali | 13 years ago | Reply NADRA does not have DNA's for the citizens. When you go to get a new ID card, they don't ask for your DNA sample, then how can NADRA match a DNA sample with a database that does not have any such information? Who are being hired in NADRA anyway???

Mirza | 13 years ago | Reply The way the attack happened and its success confirms that it was an inside job. Even some of the "terrorists" escaped and none was arrested alive! For once they are telling the truth that the DNA did not match to that of the known terrorists. They were insiders and members of security forces. Their data is not in any known terrorists database especially the US.

A.khan | 13 years ago | Reply Its a good move. I guessed the same, there are some international entities involved in that all. I wish to know the name of those foreign involved entities!!!

Asad | 13 years ago | Reply As the comments above have already pointed out, the entire DNA idea is a pile of rubbish. Whom are you kidding anyway? So what if they are locals? So what if they are foreign? Only fools like Mr. Rehman Malik get satisfied by such useless details

Truth Seeker | 13 years ago | Reply The definition of ideal fool is the 'One whom no advice will help'. NADRA should post on its website the 'tracking number' and address written on the parcel of these samples sent to International Database, to maintain their credibility. In the words of one Pakistani political stalwarts 'Enough is Enough'.

Shamsi Ajanee | 13 years ago | Reply This statement if true is funny at best . Just cannot understand who made this un-thought of statement.

Khan | 13 years ago | Reply No comment so far, but i expect ppl start saying bad about it.

AK | 13 years ago | Reply Foreigners, including Tajiks, Uzbeks, Afghans, Arabs as well as American CIA agents, have destroyed Pakistan each for their own purposes. Time to send them back to all their own countries and get out of this mess.

Cautious | 13 years ago | Reply NADRA said that the tests would make it clear that attackers were not locals since their record could not be found Maybe if you taught science rather than religion in your schools you would understand what DNA is and what it takes to get a match. The article implies that the govt has a DNA record of all Pakistani's which is outright ludicrous.

Bambayyyaa | 13 years ago | Reply They will definately match some Indian Hindu terrorist ... or a CIA or a MOSSAS agent ...

fahim | 13 years ago | Reply Dont believe a word these authorities says who are basically ISI chamcha .. these are the same terrorists they have fed for decades in Afghanistan and Kashmir. Even if the DNA matches, the truth will never be revealed in our country. What happen to salim phone records? We are fed only what is suitable to the establishments. Why hundreds of terrorists in our jails eating and living happily on my tax money is not punished. Where is the database? Why the names and their punishment are not made public? As soon as dust settles, these same terrorists will be released from jail, their records deleted, and sent back to Afghanistan and Kashmir... ISI/Military thinks that everyone in this country is illeterate and blind.

ashwin | 13 years ago | Reply It was Anglo Indian DNA, so it have been Indians in PNS meharan Attack

buttjee339 | 13 years ago | Reply DNA samples should not be sent to US or any of its ally for verification, if we really want some clue to the correct identity of these terrorists. Option to use the Chinese or Turkish expertise should be examined.

Aliana | 13 years ago | Reply Why the picture of only one terrorist released, why doesn’t the government of Pakistan release all the four terrorists’ pictures???? Are rest of the pictures are secret? Is it a big question?

sajid | 13 years ago | Reply do u mean to say that every pakistani's dna has been mapped and stored by the govt.

Hatim | 13 years ago | Reply How can NADRA confirm if the terrorists were local or foreign? I'm a Pakistani, with ancestor routes in India. Nobody has taken any DNA samples from me. Does that mean if I'm found dead, I'll go down as a foreigner? :s

DNA Records | 13 years ago | Reply Does Pakistan maintain a record of each citizen's DNA? Do they take the DNA at birth? Are you allowed to opt out of the Pakistan National DNA database?

Tariq Jameel | 13 years ago | Reply I never knew NADRA had the genetic database of pakistani population..who are they kidding, not a single authority in pakistan can claim to have the genetic record of people, only 2 labs in the country can even do the DNA test...liars

Bangash | 13 years ago | Reply Terrorists usually don't register themselves with the govt. NADRA also doesn't have every record of every single Pakistani.

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