Vet forensics to curb crime

Punjab govt supports the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences in its initiative in forensic sciences.

LAHORE: The Punjab government will support the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) in its initiative in forensic sciences, said additional chief secretary of Punjab, Muhammad Sami Saeed. It can revolutionise the investigation system to curb crime and sought out civil disputes, he added.

He was attending a national conference titled Animal Forensics: DNA fingerprinting on Tuesday, organised by the UVAS Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology and sponsored by the Higher Education Commission (HEC).

Prof Muhammad Nawaz, the UVAS vice chancellor (VC) said that forensic science was a multidisciplinary approach used resolve disputes in civil as well as criminal litigation.

He said that with the latest DNA technology, it was possible to characterise the animals at individual level, besides the breed and species level.

The VC said that UVAS had the best forensic laboratories in the country for analysis of beef meat.

He said that a sample, apparently part of a human hand, was recently sent to the university for analysis. It was found to be beef meat.

The additional chief secretary said that the university was playing an essential role in the livestock sector research and development.

DNA fingerprinting was helpful in resolving many cases, he added.

Prof Masroor Elahi Babar, the Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology director said that the UVAS Animal Forensics was the only laboratory of its kind in Pakistan. He said that the animal DNA testing was rapidly becoming relevant in resolving criminal and civil cases such as kinship analysis, determining the sire of an offspring when mother had been exposed to more than one male, parentage analysis when offspring switches with another dam, inbreeding estimation, identification of breed registries, reconstruction of extended lineage and speciation.

Delegates from Livestock Development Department, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Government College University Faisalabad, Animal Husbandry Laboratory Karachi, Aga Khan University, Punjab University, Kinnaird College, Forman Christian College, Karachi University and Pakistan Army were also present.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 22^nd, 2010.