Model Town tragedy: Forensic agency laments loss of key evidence

Senior police official says Minhajul Quran administration had barred them from collecting evidence after the incident.

LAHORE:

Forensic researchers claim that evidence related to the Model Town incident is no longer available and the Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA) has no further role to play in the probe, a senior police official told The Express Tribune.

In a letter written to the joint investigation team (JIT), the forensic agency said the material evidence such as bullet shells (casings) and shards of glass were removed from the clash site in the post-riot clean-up.

According to the official, the letter was written in the wake of the JIT’s visit to the Model Town site on Tuesday to collect forensic evidence.

PFSA Director General Dr Ashraf, however, denied that any such letter was written to the police by his agency.

A senior police official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the Minhajul Quran administration had barred them from collecting evidence after the incident.

However, a Minhajul Quran spokesperson denied these allegations.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 10^th, 2014.