Agreement signed to establish Sindh Forensic Science Lab

Karachi: The Sindh government’s Home Department and National Engineering Services Pakistan (NESPAK) have signed a memorandum of understanding to establish the province’s first independent forensic science laboratory mainly to get help in resolving the criminal cases.

The ceremony to sign the MoU to establish the Sindh Forensic Science Laboratory was held here at the Chief Minister House. Sindh CM Syed Murad Ali Shah and other senior officials were present on the occasion.

Sindh Chief Secretary Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah informed participants of the ceremony that a 30-acre piece of land had been reserved in Bin Qasim Town of Karachi to build the Forensic Science Laboratory. The total cost of the project is Rs 2.66 billion and in the current financial year Rs 10 million has been reserved for it.

The Sindh government’s Home Department has selected NESPAK as the consultant of the project. The appointment of the director-general of the upcoming forensic lab is being made.

The important services which will be provided by the lab include forensic audio-visual analysis, crime and death scene investigation, DNA and serology, forensic photography, polygraph test, firearms and tool marks, latent fingerprints, narcotics analysis, trace chemistry, and explosive examination.

The Sindh CM said he would personally supervise the project and that more funds would be reserved in the upcoming budget of the Sindh government for the financial year 2021-22.

For the time being, forensic lab services are available in the province at the University of Karachi and Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences in Jamshoro.