Jet crash victims' families cast doubt on DNA testing

Claim bodies were given to wrong families, demand inquiry

KARACHI: The families of those who perished in the recent Pakistan International Airlines plane crash have expressed reservations about the DNA testing carried out at the Sindh Forensic DNA and Serology Laboratory (SFDL) at the University of Karachi.

Holding a press conference on Saturday, they highlighted delays and mix-ups in the process, demanding that the government look into the matter.

A total of 97 people onboard the aircraft died when it plunged into Model Colony on May 22. Many of the bodies were charred beyond recognition.



Arif Iqbal, whose wife and children were on the plane, accused the authorities of corruption, explaining that while he was able to identify his wife and his elder daughter himself, DNA testing was needed to identify his son and younger daughter. “I provided my DNA sample and expected the result in a few hours, but five days later, I still had nothing,” he said, highlighting the inconvenience he also faced in having to repeatedly visit different institutions.

“This is a great business where samples and bodies are spoiled, and bodies are sold for money,” he alleged, asking other families to resend their samples to the Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA) for correct identification and pointing out that SFDL reports had not been given to them.

Dr Ahmed Murtaza, whose brother died in the crash, confirmed that they had not received any reports from the SFDL, while the PFSA had done so within a day. “My father was told his sample did not match any body. Later I found out the body it matched had been given to another family,” he stated. “I still don't know who collected my brother's body and where they buried him.”

Other relatives made similar claims, accusing the SFDL of misguiding them and issuing false results.

Rebuttal

Meanwhile, International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences director Dr Iqbal Choudhary said in a meeting at the SFDL on Saturday that the laboratory had employed all international quality standards while carrying out the forensic DNA analysis, adding that sampling, coding, tagging and handing over bodies to the families was the responsibility of the medico-legal department.

He claimed that efforts were being made to undermine the SFDL.

Meanwhile, SFDL in-charge Dr Ishtiaq Ahmed pointed to ‘unnecessary interference' by PFSA, saying their team visited the sample receiving unit a day after the incident and demanded the samples and case records be handed over to them, without any authorising documents.

Dr Ahmed claimed that the SFDL later requested collaboration with the PFSA through proper channels but was rebuffed. He said the PFSA collected samples without authorisation or fulfilling legal requirements, while also not maintaining the chain of custody. Given this, he added, its reports could not be compared to those of the SFDL.