HYDERABAD: The International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS), Karachi University, on Wednesday clarified its position over questions on the institute’s professional capacity raised by a report of an inquiry committee tasked with probing possible mishandling of DNA samples of the slain housemaid, Fatima Furiro, and her alleged tormentors.

Dr Syed Jafar Askari, ICCBS spokesman, disputed the findings of the seven-member committee formed by Sindh health department and responded to its ‘claim’ that the ICCBS was working without a highly qualified molecular biologist and forensic expert.

He said that in-charge the laboratory Dr Ishtiaq Ahmad was a well qualified person who had been ‘working’ in the field of genomics since 2005. Dr Ishtiaq had postdoctoral ‘training’ in genomics from some of the world’s prestigious institutes, he said.

He dismissed the inquiry team’s ‘finding’ that ICCBS did not provide proof of its ISO certification and stressed that ICCBS was the only forensic DNA lab in the country that had ISO-17025 certificate accredited for ‘complete’ forensic DNA analysis process.

When Askari was asked if he could share Dr Ishtiaq’s Ph.D degree in “genetics, molecular biology and DNA” to substantiate his claim, he did not share it. He did share ISO certification document that carried “Oct 3, 2023” as date of issuance whereas the inquiry was notified and initiated on Sept 18.

A plain reading of the certification, according to a forensic expert, showed that the ‘accreditation scope of’ the laboratory covered blood serology, semen serology and parentage analysis of DNA and not the “crime scene features of DNA”.

Askari said that Dr Ishtiaq had been asked to respond to the questions including evidence of his Ph.D and date of ISO certification. However, Dr Ishtiaq did not attend call when this reporter tied to reach him.

Fatima Furiro died under mysterious circumstances at the mansion of a ‘pir’ in Ranipur, Khairpur, on Aug 14.

Published in Dawn, December 14th, 2023