NA passes national forensic agency bill, 2024

ISLAMABAD: National Assembly on Wednesday passed the National Forensic Agency Bill, 2024, after a clause-by-clause review, ARY News reported.

The bill was tabled by Federal Minister for Interior Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi in the house. The bill had already been approved by the Senate.

The legislation aims to transform the National Forensics Agency (NFA) project into a fully independent agency to enhance forensic capabilities nationwide.

Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar detailed the bill’s significance, saying that the NFA would integrate existing conventional forensic labs and establish a state-of-the-art digital forensic lab.

These services would be extended to all provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B), Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and government or private forensic labs.

He said that creating an independent NFA is critical to overcoming challenges associated with the current fragmented forensic system, which leads to inconsistent standards and capabilities across the country.

The minister highlighted that Pakistan’s only forensic laboratory, located in Lahore, was established in 2011-12 by the current Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif.

He pointed out that the lab is now overburdened and stressed the urgent need for all provincial governments to establish their forensic labs.

The establishment of a modern forensic laboratory, he added, is essential for combating crime and ensuring justice through advanced investigative tools.