LAHORE: In a bid to eliminate crimes and quickly identify criminals, the home department has begun integration of criminals’ forensic data available at the Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA) and prisons department.

Both the PFSA and the prisons department are now coordinating to securely store fingerprints and images of prisoners and convicts.

A home department official says the data integration has already yielded results, with 240 cases solved using the forensic science database – which carries 440,000 prisoners’ fingerprints, while the new prisoners’ data is being updated on a regular basis.

Meanwhile, a training session was organised for prison officials to accurately integrate fingerprints into the database.

Speaking at the concluding session on Monday, home secretary Dr Ahmad Javed Qazi said the fingerprints and clear images of prisoners were collected from all prisons in Punjab. He said the database had helped solve 240 heinous crimes, including murder, dacoity, rape and robbery.

He said the training session was aimed at solving issues that surface during collecting prisoners’ records. A live demo was conducted to assess the skills of prison staff in using the forensic science system.

Dr Qazi said the Punjab’s prisons were being made technology hubs besides enhancing security using modern technology. He stressed that the prisoners should be rehabilitated to eradicate crimes.

During the visit of the forensic agency’s newly-built training lab, the home secretary directed that the lab be utilised to its full potential for training of students, youth, and scientists from across the country.

Later, the home secretary distributed certificates among those who successfully completed the training. As many as 120 officials from prisons across Punjab underwent training by the PFSA officials.

The session was attended by IG Prisons Mian Farooq Nazir, DG PFSA Dr Muhammad Amjad and other officials.

Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2025