LAHORE, March 14: The University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS), Lahore, has accomplished the first-ever animal forensic case of Pakistan, and resolved a disputed ownership case of a Sahiwal Holstein Frisian crossbred bull.

The issue had been pending between the two parties for the last two and a half years, according to a press release issued here on Friday.

The case was brought to the limelight when one party claimed that their bull had been stolen and was in the custody of the second party, which denied the allegation.

The case was forwarded to the UVAS by the Sahiwal district police officer for a DNA fingerprinting-based paternity confirmation of the disputed bull.Prof Dr Masroor Elahi Babar said that DNA experts from the UVAS took blood samples from the disputed bull and its available 'relatives' provided by both parties.

Both micro-satellite genotype and mitochondria sequence analyses reconfirmed the information obtained through analyses of the disputed bull and its relatives provided by the second party, and the result was convincingly in their favour.

The case has laid the foundation for animal forensics in Pakistan by the molecular cytogenesis and genomic lab of the UVAS, and will help law enforcing agencies use the technology for future cases of this kind. The university has full technical competence to deal with animal forensic cases, said Prof Babar. —APP