PESHAWAR, July 13: The NWFP government has planned to set up a laboratory for DNA testing to cope with the growing terrorist activities in the province, it is learnt. Sources told Dawn that a committee had been given task to compile a report about the availability of technical staff for the much-needed facility.

In this connection a meeting was held under the health secretary last week.

Representatives of the home department, chief executives of three teaching hospitals, principal of the Khyber Medical College and some forensic experts attended the meeting.

“The government wanted to investigate complicated terrorism and criminal cases. It wanted to make DNA technology a routine part of investigations to enhance the ability of the criminal justice system in tracking down terrorists and criminals,” sources said.

According to them, bomb explosions and terrorist activities in the province and Fata had left the government with no option than to set up its own DNA laboratory in Peshawar.

During the meeting, it was decided that the laboratory would be established at the department of forensic medicine and toxicology of the KMC that would also be used for research purposes by medical students and teachers.

Sources said that facilities for testing cases related to microbiology, ballistics and explosives, chemical examination and toxicology would be made available at the laboratory.

At present the NWFP police were sending the DNA samples of the suspected suicide bombers and other criminals to the National Police Laboratory in Islamabad.

The use of DNA was beneficial for investigation when the profiles of the hardened criminals are available. Once the laboratory is set up, the government could prepare DNA profiles of the hardcore criminals, sources added.

A few years back, the US had showed interest to establish DNA laboratory at the KMC with a view to determine identity of the dead militants, but the plan did not get materialised.

Sources said that once the feasibility report was made, there were bright possibilities that US would support the laboratory.

Not only war on terrorism, but also the use of DNA evidence in civil and criminal proceedings was significant.

They said that DNA would enable us exclude or include a person in crime despite his being unidentified to the aggrieved party.

It may be mentioned that the federal government had planned to establish forensic DNA laboratory in Peshawar last year as part of the National Forensic Science Project of the National Police Bureau, but the plan did not see light of the day.