Forensic agency to help change Thana culture: Rana Sanaullah

LAHORE: Provincial Minister for Law & Parliamentary Affairs, Rana Sanaullah Khan has said that Punjab Forensic Science Agency will prove to be a milestone in changing thana culture.

He said that in future, it would be compulsory for police stations to take help from forensic agency. He said that programme of taking finger prints of prisoners in jails would be started soon. He said that the agency has resolved 186,939 cases out of 203,154 cases so far. He said that the scope of forensic agency would be extended from divisional level to sub-division and thana level.

According to a handout issued here Sunday, the minister expressed these views during his visit to Punjab Forensic Science Agency along with journalists at Thokar Niaz Baig.Secretary Information Momin Agha, Secretary Home and Secretary Prosecution were also present on the occasion. Rana Sanaullah Khan said that Punjab Forensic Science Agency was the second largest lab of the world and the first biggest lab of Asia. He said that this lab was equipped with modern investigation technology which would help in ridding of traditional thana culture. He said that DNA and firearms data-base existed in the lab whereas finger prints would be data based till June, 2016.

The minister said that Forensic Lab was completed in 2013 with the funding of Rs2,566 million by the Punjab government. He said that no federal government and foreign aid was taken for completion of Punjab Forensic Science Agency. He said that forensic lab had provided forensic training to 8,000 law enforcement officials so far. He said that Punjab had provided assistance for setting up forensic lab in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said that lab had resolved a number of international cases, including Cleveland Ohio Police shooting case, Norway triple murder case, British Rejina, Rana Tariq murder case, Egyptian paternity case and others.

Earlier, Secretary Home and DG Forensic Lab Dr Ashraf Tahir highlighted the technical aspects of the lab. The journalists appreciated the step of establishing Punjab Forensic Science Agency and its performance. Later, the journalists also visited various sections of forensic lab.