Country’s first digital forensic science centre opens at KU

KARACHI: The country’s first Centre for Digital Forensic Science and Technology was inaugurated at the University of Karachi on Tuesday.

Sindh governor and the university’s chancellor Dr Ishrat-ul-Ebad, who inaugurated the centre, stressed on the importance of the field of forensic science in the county. He said the centre would provide technical training to law-enforcement agencies.

"The centre will be beneficial to both the law-enforcement agencies and the judiciary. It will play an important role in the criminal justice system by providing digital evidence," he added.

He was speaking at the Dr AQ Khan Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Auditorium and later went to unveil the foundation stone of the centre located near the KU Bureau of Composition, Compilation and Translation.

He congratulated KU vice chancellor and his team on stepping towards the world of achievements especially in the field of digital forensic science and technology despite facing difficulties.

“This centre will definitely be playing its role as one of the paving components of rule of law.”

He said the KU had been contributing to the society through the pursuit of education, learning and research since 1951.

"I hope following the legacy of the University, this centre will foster and produce students of the highest intellectual potential, irrespective of social, religious and financial considerations. The dedicated, highly qualified, professional faculty members and digital forensic experts will play their due role for this paradigm shift and will bring a positive change in all aspects."

The governor said he realised that the financial position of the KU is not very sound. “centre needs money for infrastructure and logistics, the purchase of quite expensive kits such as mobile forensic kits, computer forensic kits and others.”

He assured that he would talk to the federal and provincial governments as well as the private sector to come forward and assist the centre. He also lauded the efforts of Sardar Yasin Malik for providing financial aid for the centre.

The governor said the centre would be a beacon of light for a good future of Pakistani society which is already facing tremendous challenges at internal and external level. “I also hope the centre would promote and deliver the highest standards of education and research excellence and would meet the expectations of the public and government.”

KU vice chancellor Professor Dr Muhammad Qaiser said digital forensic science education and training is of prime importance for the development of the nation. "No country can progress until it keeps pace with the development and rapid progress of the technology. I remember when I discussed the formal proposal to establish such a centre with the chancellor. He immediately agreed and assured me all sort of support which university needed. In fact he was more enthusiastic for the establishment of the centre than I.”

He said in the beginning the centre would start with a certificate course, followed by a diploma and then a degree programme. “The centre would keep functioning and provide support to the law-enforcement agencies including police, Rangers, FIA, and NAB as well as the judiciary for quick justice.

He said that the centre would play an integral role in the criminal justice system by providing impartial scientific opinion based on digital evidence.

He added that digital forensic investigation was divided into several sub-branches depending on the digital devices like computer forensics, network forensics, and mobile device forensics.

He further said that the centre would educate resolving complex criminal cases and would be a bridge in providing easy access to criminal justice system with its advanced curriculum.

"This advanced digital evidence educational system would be value added to the conventional system of Pakistan. We understand that police and other law-enforcement agencies would have a growing demand in future for inducting digital forensic analysts and experts to make their investigations more effective, objective and scientific in nature rather than to rely on the existing obsolete methodology and technology."

He announced that within a span of one year the scope of the Centre would be broadened, the other aspects would also be included such as finger printing, DNA sequencing as the facility is available at our centralised lab which would be linked with the centre.

The KU Dean Faculty of Management and Administrative Sciences, Professor Dr Khalid Iraqi, said the center would help in controlling the rate of crime and KU had the honour of setting up the first forensic science centre in the country.

The governor later told The News that he had ordered that necessary work on the newly inaugurated centre be started at the earliest so that legislation could be completed as soon as possible too.

“After the legislation, the centre will play a vital role in helping the law-enforcement agencies and the judiciary in curbing crime and terrorism and extortion cases. I have asked the people concerned to draft the protocol on priority basis so that legislation work could be started simultaneously to avoid unnecessary delay,” he added.

He said the operation against criminals and extremists would continue everywhere in Pakistan including Karachi. "There extremism elements could not be labelled as good or bad. They all are bad segments of the society and only deserve punishment.”

He said the Karachi operation would continue as great successes had been achieved so far and no compromise could be made in this regard.

The law-enforcement agencies would go against criminals and militants regardless of whether they were being sheltered by any political or religious parties or sectarian groups or not.

The governor gave credit to the Pakistan Army for restoring peace in the country after the imposition of National Action Plan. He added that after the Army Public School Peshawar attack, it was decided that all militant groups and criminals should be handled strictly.

"Pakistan's stability lies in the stability of Karachi therefore we will leave no stone unturned to maintain stability in the mega city." He added that there should not be any doubt about the operation and its importance as it is necessary for the betterment of masses and peaceful environment.”

He also told The News that computer science, geography and criminology departments would help the Centre for Digital Forensic Science and Technology which would start functioning in next three to six months.

“We are also establishing a hospital with the help of the anti-narcotics forces while around half of the total expenditure would be borne by the private sector."

He said that this centre would be vital in sharing relevant database and intelligence report among concern departments and it has surely a very wide scope.   

Awais’ rescue

The governor appreciated the role and services of Pakistan's military forces and the law-enforcing agencies in resuing Barrister Awais Shah, the kidnapped son of Sindh High Court Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah.

The governor said the kidnapping had raised eye-brows and the public was raising the question that if the federal and provincial governments and law-enforcement forces could ensure the safety of high-profile personalities, how could they secure the lives of common people.