Pakistan grapples with forensic labs and experts shortage, need to modernize evidence collection process, experts

Karachi: Forensic experts have said that there is a shortage of forensic labs and experts in the country and that there is a dire need to fill this shortage. In an address to the Dow University workshop, they said that most of the evidence is lost in the conventional practices of collecting evidence. The process of collecting evidence from crime scenes also neeThey gave the above statement while addressing the participants of a two-day workshop titled ‘From Crime Scene to Trial; Mastering Forensic Investigation’ at Dow International Medical College. Ojha Campus, This first-ever training workshop on the collection and preservation of forensic samples for accidents and crime investigation was organized by the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, DIMC. In the concluding session of the workshop, the Guest of Honor, Pro-Vice Chancellor Dr. Jahan Ara Hasan presented shields to the speakers and certificates to the participants. Head of the Department: Professor Doctor Ramlah Naz, Consultant Forensic DNA/CSI Afzal Hussain, Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court, and Expert in Law in Forensic Science, Dr. Rana Khan Professor Dr. Zakiuddin Ahmed, DSP Saeedabad, Sindh Police Crime and Investigation Branch officers, lawyers, medicolegal officers, and faculty members of forensic medicine were present in the workshop. Dr. Ramlah Naz said that whenever a case is reported, the same questions arise: Who did it? What happened? When did it happen? Where did it happen (here or another crime scene)? Why did it happen? Who is the victim? What evidence is there? She said that the identity of the victim is very important. In some cases, the face of the deceased is not recognized, and the belongings of the deceased, such as a wallet and watch, women are identified through jewelry. If any such thing is not found at the crime scene, the identity is ascertained through a DNA test. She further said that there are different types of evidence, like direct and indirect, physical and biological, such as fingerprints, footprints etc. She shed light on the ways to find out the identity of the victim and the culprit in various cases. In this regard, she referred to the forensic research into the physical identity of famous personalities Junaid Jamshed and Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi, who died in different aerial accidents. She also referred to the high-profile case of 2022, Dua Zehra, and the Zainab murder case of 2018. It was also discussed which methods are used to collect evidence in different types of cases. Dr. Ramlah Naz said that when forensic swab is collected and sealed in a plastic bag, it gets destroyed at the moment. It is important that the swab be dried and then preserved, as the DNA gets preserved for years. Dr. Ramlah Naz further said that this workshop has a special focus on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)-16, which aims to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provides access to justice for all, and build effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels. Dr. Ramlah Naz also referred to a suicide case in which CSI team was not called to the crime scene; while it should have been because it is crucial to investigate whether it is a suicide case or a murder, portrayed as suicide. She pointed out that in some cases, no suspicion is shown towards the closest person, who turns out to be the real killer, so there is a dire need of training in this regard to overcome such loopholes, to which DSP Saeedabad said that evidence collection practices have improved now and CSI teams go to various accidents, murders, and rape cases sites. Dr. Ramlah suggested that if the DNA and fingerprint data of the inmates in the jails is collected, the crime rate could be significantly reduced as these criminals commit crimes repeatedly. Later, forensic consultant Afzal Hussain shared in-depth information of forensic investigation and evidence collection. He explained techniques to identify, collect, and preserve evidence at the crime scene; he also discussed crime scene cordoning and photography. He said that in Pakistan, crime scene photography is done, but for this purpose mobile phones are often used, which raises the biggest problem of photo angle, that where the photographer was and where the objects were at the crime scene and also the result is not very good in terms of forensic investigation. He said that in order to address this issue, it is essential to use the latest cameras for crime scene photography. These advanced cameras allow for higher zoom capabilities, enhancing the quality and detail of captured images. He further said that there are also hurdles in getting the evidence to the forensic experts after collection, saying that sometimes it happens that the investigating officer says that five bones have been sent for forensic examination but only three are received. So, where did the other two go? Who discarded those? He said forensic specimens should therefore be sealed with tamper-evident tape so that it breaks if someone tries to open it, or if it is not available, it should be signed with ordinary tape in case the tape is removed; it will be visible then. He asked the participants how envelopes for sending forensic samples to experts are sealed, to which a police officer replied that the on-duty officer collects forensic evidence, but the investigation officer signs and seals the envelope, to which Consultant Forensic Afzal Hussain raised the point that such things hinder the investigation as there is no record of who is collecting the sample and who did not collect it is signing the envelope. He also said that fingerprints are the most important evidence in forensic research because the DNA of twins is not so different, but the fingerprints of identical twins are different, so they are the key to chasing any criminal. Later, Dr. Rana Khan, senior advocate of the Supreme Court, highlighted the importance of forensics in the timely investigation of cases by referring to various case studies. She highlighted the provisions related to forensic investigation in Criminal Procedure Code 1898, Qanun-e-Shahadat Order, 1984 (QSO), and Police Rules 1934. She said that there are only 5 forensic labs in Pakistan, which are few in number, so there is a dire need to set up more forensic labs. She further said that forensic laboratories should have facilities for audio-visual analysis, digital forensics, crime/death scene investigation, firearms and ballistics, fingerprints, and forensic photography. She said that there is a shortage of forensic experts in the country, so their number should be increased. She said that there should be training for forensic investigation experts, crime investigation teams and curriculum should be designed in this regard. Dr. Rana Khan further said that despite the lack of resources, our police force tries to collect evidence, but they are degraded a lot, even by some judges. Even if they call them politely, they will bring the required material. She said if any person is degraded, his self-respect is undermined and his ability to work is affected, so that should be avoided by the authorities. On the second day, the participants performed the methods of collecting forensic samples from the crime scene. The experts pointed out their mistakes and conducted training based on the methods of collecting and preserving forensic samples of different types of crimes. At the end of the workshop, shields were presented to Dr. Rana Khan and consultant Afzal Hussain. On the first day of the workshop, a pre-test of participants was conducted in which they answered the multiple-choice question, after which the forensic expert for Sindh, Professor Dr. Ramlah Naz, Consultant Forensic Afzal Hussain, and Dr. Rana Khan talked to the participants about the process of collecting forensic evidence and investigation. Dr. Ramlah Naz introduced the objectives of the workshop, forensic medicine and sciences, and discussed evidence and its forensic identification.