Daily Times

The nation finally seems to have taken a collective sigh of relief after it was discovered that Imran was indeed behind the gruesome assault and murder of Zainab.

What truly helped achieve progress in the investigation was the DNA test Director General (DG) Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA) Dr Mohammad Ashraf Tahir conducted. The test in fact revealed Imran’s vicious role as a serial sexual offender and killer.

The breakthrough the DNA test achieved in the investigation has since then sparked a debate over the use and importance of DNA finger printing.

This conversation centers around the conventional approach and lack of professional knowledge towards DNA testing, DNA finger printing and Gene sequencing.

The use of DNA testing (fingerprinting) in criminal investigations is highly common in western societies. The protocol is a novel step and is legal, but several Muslim scholars remain divided over the issue.

DNA finger printing has been in use in different areas such as identifying  Paternity (sorting out carelessly misidentified babies in hospitals), determining the identity of a missing child, or  in the rare case when a woman is impregnated by two men (through the concurrent fertilization of two different ova), as in cases of gang rape.

DNA testing is in fact highly reliable and leaves no questions un-answered. A famous case where DNA fingerprinting technology was employed to establish guilt is that of the American President Bill Clinton, who was involved in a scandalous extramarital relationship with White House intern, Monica Lewinsky.

DNA evidence refuted the President’s denial of the affair, and found Mr. Clinton’s genetic print in a seminal smear found on Lewinsky’s dress.

This brings us to the question of what exactly is a DNA test and how can it help identify culprit(s).

The first thing to address is how long does DNA evidence last. Researchers claim that the answer varies from situation to situation.

Under ideal conditions, DNA can maintain its molecular shape for about 6.8 million years, after which all the bonds will break and sequences may no longer be readable.

The oldest DNA record, in fact, was found in Greenland, and is estimated to be between 450,000 and 800,000 years.

In case of identifying a rapist, moreover, a DNA sample from both the victim and the accused is required.

Sperm DNA can last in the reproductive tract of the victim for seven days or even longer after the initial assault.

Once DNA samples are acquired, a complete DNA test may require 24-72 hours.

In the test, the DNA samples are then processed and subjected to gel documentation. If DNA samples from the victim and the accused match, we have a positive result.

How long it takes to get forensic DNA results is still an area undergoing deliberation. The technology has its limitations, and the time taken for the DNA sample to be transported from the crime scene to the process of identification can span as long as 14 days.

In Zainab’s case, the dead body was found seven days after the assault took place.

It is also important to identify the route of the rape and where the semen was found. In case of anal rape, for instance, three days should be the cap to collect samples, while for vaginal rape, up to seven days can be used. Semen can also be detected on clothing despite washing.

Unfortunately, rape has been rampant in Pakistan for decades. The issue of sexual assault in Pakistan first came to the fore following the politically sanctioned rape of Mukhtaran Bibi.

The group “War Against Rape”  documented the severity of rape in Pakistan, and the police’s apathy towards the crime and the victims.

According to Women’s Studies professor Shahla Haeri, rape in Pakistan is “often institutionalized and has the tacit and at times explicit approval of the state” (Haeri, Shahla 2002)

According to deceased lawyer Asma Jahangir, who was the co-founder of the women’s rights group, Women’s Action Forum, up to seventy-two percent of women in custody in Pakistan are physically or sexually abused.

Unfortunately, the investigation protocol in place to identify rape victims has, until now, remained conventional and unreliable.

There is, therefore, a dire need to establish facilities that adhere to global international standards.

Moreover, DNA testing for investigation purposes is still a new phenomenon in Pakistan, but, some public and private sector institutions do possess the capacity for this protocol.

DNA profiling is used by crime laboratories for testing biological evidence, most commonly by means of the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), which allows analysis of samples of a limited quality and quantity by making millions of copies.

An advanced form of PCR testing called Short Tandem Repeats (STR) generates a DNA profile that can be compared to the DNA from a suspect or from a crime scene.

Blood, buccal (inner cheek) swabbing or saliva may also be collected from victims to distinguish their DNA from that of suspects.

The first step we can take to enhance the use of DNA testing is to establish DNA testing labs in each district head quarter. This should be followed by undertaking DNA profiles of all adult persons, and the information should then be made part of NADRA’s database.

Similarly, hospitals must undertake DNA profiling of newborns and add this to NADRA’s database.

This will ensure that we possess a pool of genetic data on every citizen. This will also prove beneficial in many other respects. Identifying criminals after a robbery for instance. The robbers might leave genetic information behind either through fingerprints on doors, cupboards or even their hair.

Through NADRA’s genetic pool, we can then identify the culprits and bring them to justice.

To ensure a crime free Pakistan, therefore, it is high time that we adopt modern scientific methods, and DNA testing should be at the top of the list of our priorities.

The author is Chairman, Department of Parasitology at Sindh Agriculture University