Punjab Government Brings Forensic Science Agency Under Direct Political Control with New Law

Lahore: The Punjab government has amended the law to place the Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA) directly under political control. Last week, the provincial government passed a controversial law that dissolved the PFSA and established a new body, which will be directly supervised by the Chief Minister. This new entity will be primarily composed of bureaucrats.

Under the 2007 law, the Director General of the agency was required to have expertise in forensic sciences. However, the 2025 law has removed this stipulation, which has raised concerns. The move is seen as an attempt by the provincial government to gain more control over forensic science services in the province.

The Punjab Forensic Science Authority Act 2025 was presented by Provincial Finance Minister Miftah Shuja-ur-Rehman on February 12 and was passed on March 12. The new law establishes the Punjab Forensic Science Authority, replacing the current PFSA, and repeals the Punjab Forensic Science Agency Act 2007, which previously governed the agency’s structure and operations.

### Key Changes in the New Law:
– A new forensic body, the Punjab Forensic Science Authority, will replace the PFSA, which was based in Lahore and provided forensic science services to law enforcement agencies and criminal courts.
– The Director General’s role will now be under the direct control of the Chief Minister, who will also appoint 13 additional members to oversee operations.
– A major change is that the requirement for the Director General to be an expert in forensic sciences has been removed. The new law allows the appointment of a bureaucrat from the Pakistan Administrative Services (PAS) or Provincial Management Services (PMS) with a BS-20 rank if the position becomes vacant.
– The authority will now have a majority voting system for decision-making, with at least 9 of the 14 members being appointed by or from the provincial government, a significant departure from the previous structure where such a voting system was not in place.

The law has also expanded the definition of “forensic material” to include biological samples, documents, cyber-crime data, and audio-visual recordings.

### Government’s Justification:
Punjab’s Information Minister, Azma Bukhari, defended the law, claiming that placing the Chief Minister at the helm would improve financial and administrative control. She added that the new authority would bring more ownership and enhance operational efficiency. Moreover, the government allocated 8 billion rupees for upgrading the authority’s infrastructure and equipment.

### Concerns Raised:
Legal experts have expressed concerns that the new law could politicize forensic independence and undermine the objectivity of forensic analysis. Lawyer Rida Hussain criticized the changes, particularly the fact that the Director General’s position is now subject to the Chief Minister’s discretion, which could lead to arbitrary dismissals. She also pointed out that the new structure, dominated by bureaucrats, could compromise the authority’s ability to make impartial decisions.

Additionally, lawyer Asad Rehman Khan emphasized the praise the PFSA had received for its role in crime prevention and raised concerns over the increasing politicization of forensic science, which could undermine the integrity of the judicial system.