‘PITB fingerprints system helps police detect offenders’

LAHORE

PITB’s developed Punjab Automated Fingerprints Information System (PAFIS) had helped police detect almost 70 habitual offenders in Lahore in last six months. 

Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) Chairman Dr Umar Saif said this during a meeting held at Arfa Software Technology Park on Wednesday. He said PAFIS had computerised more than 1.5 lakh fingerprints recorded in district Criminal Record Offices (CROs) of Punjab and the work was still in progress. He said: “The central Criminal Record Office was equipped with the PAFIS six months ago where one Khurram Masih was identified to be involved in 36 criminal activities such as robbery, theft and snatching while a woman named Bashiran Bibi caught in 13 cases registered against her in different police stations of Lahore. She also used name of Rehmat Bibi and used to commit crime in the suburbs of Nawab Town, Allama Iqbal Town, Sabzazar, Gulshan-e-Ravi and Rehmat Colony etc. Usually the culprits don’t have any Identity Card and discloses fake names before the police to evade major punishment from the courts. But fingerprints can’t deceive the matching machines and all FIRs are being traced and registered against a single person with the help of PASIF.”

Dr Saif said besides central CRO, the system had also been installed in the Police Station Model Town and Qila Gujar Singh in Lahore and being extended to all police stations of Punjab gradually.

He assured that PAFIS would save the innocent citizens from illegal confinement and torture on behalf of non-identification. “PITB is going to purchase a Mega Matcher device that would match the finger prints in no time”, he added.