ISLAMABAD, March 31: Pakistan established its first DNA test laboratory in Islamabad on Friday with the assistance of China to investigate complicated terrorism and criminal cases.

Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao said at the inaugural ceremony at the city’s Sitara Market that the government was committed to make DNA technology a routine part of the investigations to enhance the ability of the criminal justice system in tracking down terrorists and criminals.

The DNA laboratory has been established by the National Police Bureau under its National Forensic Science Programme (NFSP) at a cost of Rs8 million. The government of China provided the technology and equipment for the laboratory.

It has facilities for testing cases related to microbiology, ballistics and explosives, chemical examination and toxicology.

“The establishment of DNA lab is a major step in the on- going efforts of the ministry of interior to better equip the police and law enforcement agencies in their fight against crime, terrorism and public disorder,” the minister said.

He said: “DNA technology is potentially the most remarkable crime-fighting tool of the 21st century.”

In recent years, the scientific advances have served to stimulate a greater public awareness and use of DNA evidence in civil and criminal proceedings.

The Institute of Forensic Sciences, Ministry of Public Security of China has trained two of Pakistani scientists in the latest DNA technology.

“This cooperation is yet another gesture of the friendship between Pakistan and the Peoples Republic of China,” he added, looking forward to continuing cooperation and support in future endeavours.

Interior secretary Syed Kamal Shah said the use of forensic DNA technology to associate individuals with crimes has produced a revolution in the way crimes were solved.

The forensic DNA, he said, had the ability to conclusively eliminate or implicate an individual as the perpetrator of a crime even when the suspect is unknown to the victim. Before the DNA testing facility, tracking crimes such as sexual assaults committed by a stranger were very difficult, if not impossible to solve, said the interior secretary.

He said the DNA laboratory has been established by the National Police Bureau as part of the National Forensic Science Project, which seeks to have state-of-art forensic facilities at Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta.

He said forensic science was the new frontier for law enforcement, and the DNA laboratory would be a pioneer in providing quality forensic services.

Mr Shah said DNA laboratory was the most important part of the planned forensic capacity building effort and will significantly enhance law enforcement capability to use DNA technology in diverse areas such as detection of serious crimes, determination of paternity, identification in mass disasters, missing person investigations, even historic and archeological research.