Islamabad (Web Desk): The Senate of Pakistan on Friday unanimously passed the National Forensic Agency Bill, 2024 with certain amendments.
The bill, which was piloted by Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar on behalf of the Minister for Interior, aims to transform the existing National Forensics Agency (NFA) project into a full-fledged, independent body to enhance forensic capabilities across the country.
Sharing the details, Tarar explained that the establishment of the NFA would address the challenges arising from Pakistan's fragmented forensic services, which currently suffer from inconsistent standards and capabilities.
He added that through the NFA, conventional forensic labs would be upgraded and a new digital forensic lab would be established, offering services to all provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B), Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), as well as government and private forensic labs.
The minister emphasized the critical need for modern forensic infrastructure, pointing out that the only existing forensic laboratory in Lahore, set up in 2010 by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, was overwhelmed and unable to meet the growing demand for forensic services.
Tarar called on provincial governments to establish similar labs in their regions to help address this gap.
He stressed that setting up state-of-the-art forensic laboratories would play a crucial role in eradicating crime and improving the overall efficiency of law enforcement.
During the session, Senators Qurat ul Anin Marri and Zamir Hussain Ghumro proposed amendments to the bill, which were passed by the House.
The passage of this bill marks an important step towards modernizing Pakistan’s forensic infrastructure and ensuring a more effective and unified approach to tackling crime across the country.