LAHORE:
Forensic evidence critical for conducting investigation and winning convictions in criminal cases is being held up because three key offices – chief chemical examiner, medico-legal surgeon and head of the histopathology lab – are without permanent appointments, The Express Tribune has learnt.
All three posts are currently held by officials as additional charges. As the officers at the helm are unable to give the jobs their full-time attention, there is a rising backlog of samples to be analysed, injuries to be assessed and reports to be filed, said officials in the Health and Home Departments.
“I would say that in around 50 per cent of all criminal cases, the investigation relies entirely on reports issued by these three offices,” said a senior police officer.
Empty offices
The medico-legal surgeon conducts autopsies and assesses causes of injuries and death. The evidence is crucial in establishing the weapon used to kill the victim in a murder case, or whether a person has been raped.
The Punjab government suspended Dr Captain (retired) Waseem Haider from the post of surgeon, medico-legal, in the second week of January alongside nine other doctors on charges of negligence in the deaths due to tainted drugs at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology.
The Supreme Court later directed the Punjab government to withdraw the suspension notifications of all officials in the PIC deaths. The Punjab government reinstated them to the Health Department, where they are awaiting posting.
In February, the Health Department awarded Dr Juanid Mumtaz Shami, a senior medical officer, additional charge of the post. Since then, only one provincial medical board headed by the medico-legal surgeon has been constituted, to assess the injuries inflicted upon a Sargodha schoolteacher, allegedly by former PPP MPA Aslam Madhyana. The board found that the teacher had not been shot in the legs, as he had claimed, but his injuries were a result of blunt force. Officials said that over a 100 requests from victims of crime for the constitution of provincial medical boards were pending.
Blood and tissue
The chief chemical examiner tests samples for substances or infections that may have caused injuries or death. He analyses blood spatter and compiles toxicology reports. The government removed Dr Mubashar Atiq Azhar from the post in the last week of February and granted additional charge of the office to Dr Abbas Ali Khan. Owing to the absence of a regular chief chemical examiner, over 4,000 cases sent by the police for analysis remain untested, an official said.
The histopathology laboratory examines tissues and organ samples to establish the cause of death in murder cases. The lab has been run by Prof Nasir Iqbal, the head of pathology at Services Hospital, on additional charge for the last four years. Officials at the lab said that Prof Iqbal had not been coming to work for the last five months and hundreds of samples awaited testing.
Prof Iqbal said he visited the lab at least once a week.
Meanwhile, the much hyped Forensic Science Laboratory, a multi-billion rupee project, is still not fully functional two years after the original deadline (July 2010) set by the government.
Health Department Additional Secretary Asfandyar Khan said that the chief minister had been recently sent two panels – lists of three candidates each – to consider for posting as chief chemical examiner and medico-legal surgeon. The department would make a presentation to the chief minister and he would either select suitable professionals for the posts or merge them in the Forensic Science Lab, he said,
Published in The Express Tribune, May 14th, 2012.
COMMENTS (3)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
Is there a shortage of requisite skilled personnel for permanent posting on these important positions in the Forensic Department? If the answer is in the negative, why give additional charge to people specializing in other fields and having no dearth of their own legitimate work on their hands. Day in and day out v hear accolades about the good governance in the Punjab vis-a-vis the Center. It appears decisiveness isn't Khadim-e-A'la's strong point either. The back log is going to break the backs of those who finally fill these posts legitimately. What is Mr Shahbaz Shareef waiting for...the next elections? Or is he waiting for someone close to qualify so that he or she can b obliged? Thank God someone has taken notice of a gross negligence in the most important department in the investigation field.
So much for the self acclaimed law abiding khadims of Punjab. The additional/adhoc appointments r only in order if proper qualified people in this field r not available. Just lingering on indecisively and pending the decision for Christ knows why, is not understood and, as the writer has correctly pointed out, results inthe backlog is piling up for no rhyme or reason. There should b a limit to procrastination. What is the CM waiting for...the next election?
Nice informative article highlighting the adhocism in Punjab which is quite a habit for the Govt. and The CM.The agencies which are mentioned here are worth a visit pathetic condition of the offices and equipment shows the interests of in-charge officers and the departments concerned.The roar of the loin '' we will bring justice to the door step '' is merely a quake of the duck if one go through the data given in the article.