ISLAMABAD: The country’s first National Forensic Agency formally began operation on Friday, the Ministry of Interior said.

The agency was established under the “The National Forensic Agency Bill, 2024”, which was passed into law in 2024.

In a statement on X, the ministry said that Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi visited the headquarters on Friday, expressing hope that “the institution will assist in national security matters and curtailing crime”.

The minister, during his visit, said that the agency will provide support to law enforcement agencies across Pakistan, directing the NFA to establish offices in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan.

He also directed that the services provided by the agency should be “widely publicised”.

Director General NFA Hasnaat Rasool briefed the interior minister on the agency’s progress, informing that the “first phase” had been completed.

He informed Naqvi that the agency was providing services “in the field of digital forensics, including deepfake forensics, computer and mobile forensics, audio-video, network, and drone forensics”.

“1,500 digital forensic cases have been reported in one year,” he was quoted as saying, adding that under the second phase, “25 specialised labs will be established”.

Naqvi also visited the “Research and Innovation Lab, Digital Forensics Lab, Narcotics Lab, FinTech Lab, and Questionable Documents Lab at NFA,” the statement said.

He also “inspected DNA, firearms, serology, and explosives rooms,” the statement read, adding that the minister lauded the team for “making the agency fully operational in a short time”.

The minister also inquired about the training course of the assistant superintendents of police at the agency.