Need for forensic laboratories in Sindh greater than ever

With no scientific lab to aid investigations, province relies on outdated methods to solve crimes

KARACHI: The recent tragedy involving the deaths of six people of a Quetta-based family has once again highlighted the need for a forensic laboratory in Sindh. As an investigation was launched into the matter, samples obtained from the bodies of the deceased were sent to the Punjab Forensic Science Laboratory to determine the cause of deaths.

The need for a forensic laboratory in Sindh was earlier felt in November 2018 when two children from Karachi lost their lives after eating contaminated food. The previous incident had sent shockwaves beyond the province and the apex court also took notice of the incident.

On November 24, 2018, Supreme Court Justice Gulzar Ahmed directed the provincial government to set up a laboratory within a period of fifteen days. The Sindh government, however, failed to meet the deadline and the money allotted for the purpose was given to Karachi University for setting up a forensic unit at the university's Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences.



Bureaucratic delays

The government's lengthy bureaucratic procedures related to the release of funds and procurement of required equipment, however, further delayed the project. Although Rs220 million was released to the university to establish the said forensic unit, the actual cost of setting up the laboratory exceeded the allocated amount because of the lengthy official processes as well as the rupee's devaluation against the US dollar.

Shedding light on the matter, Dr Iqbal Chaudhry, director of the concerned department at Karachi University, said that authorities from the provincial government are aware of the hurdles faced during the unit's establishment, including the rise in the value of US dollar. He added that the facility is still under construction and will hopefully be completed by July 2019 if all the requirements are fulfilled in a timely fashion.

Meanwhile, talking to The Express Tribune, Sindh Home Secretary Abdul Kabir Qazi reiterated that the provincial government has already released the required funds for setting up a forensic unit in Karachi University. "It will take a few more months as the required equipment has to be imported that must meet national and international quality standards."

Sindh's own

The provincial health department has already set up a chemical examination laboratory at Services Hospital. However, considering that the facility is ill-equipped and lacks proper management, the provincial government did not refer the case of the Quetta family to the lab.

The said laboratory had been questioned for its standards and performance after its role in the liquor-testing case of former Sindh minister Sharjeel Memon. The health department, therefore, decided to set up a separate DNA forensic unit at the university.

After investigating the case of the Quetta family, the Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences released an initial report wherein it found that the deaths occurred not because of poisonous food but due to the inhalation of phosphate gas released from an insect repellent that contained aluminium phosphide - a highly toxic inorganic compound.

Authorities are, however, still waiting for the Punjab Forensic Science Laboratory to send their report after which a final conclusion will be drawn.

Land allotted

Apart from setting up a forensic unit at the Karachi University, a full-fledged, well-equipped forensic examination laboratory will still be needed in the province. Speaking about the issue, the Sindh chief minister's adviser, Barrister Murtaza Wahab, had earlier told journalists that the provincial government will establish a state-of-the-art forensic laboratory in Malir.

District Malir extends from Malir Town all the way to the Super Highway (M9) and during a recent meeting, Sindh Chief Secretary Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah was informed that the provincial government has reserved 30 acres of land near M9 for establishing a proper forensic science laboratory.

Considering the current circumstances, however, it seems that the establishment of a proper forensic science laboratory in Sindh will take some years. This is because the Sindh government passed a law entitled the "Sindh Forensic Science Agency Act 2017" to set up the Sindh Forensic Science Agency a year and a half ago. But no further steps were taken in terms of the formation of the agency. According to Abdul Kabir Qazi, the project is still in the pipeline.



"It will probably take two to three more years to form the agency. We are in contact with the federal government's National Forensic Science Agency (NFSA). It has given us a proposal, and we have to discuss it further," Qazi told The Express Tribune.

Per the Sindh Forensic Science Agency Act, the new body will be responsible for conducting the examination of forensic material and render an expert opinion on it. The agency will also procure, operate and maintain scientific instruments for the examination of forensic material. In addition to that, it will also recommend suitable procedures for the collection or handling of related materials.

According to the Act, forensic laboratories or other related facilities operating in the province will be monitored by the agency and the provincial government will appoint a director general to run the agency's administrative affairs.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 2^nd, 2019.