Senate passes ‘National Forensic Agency’ bill to boost forensic and cybercrime capabilities
The Senate on Friday unanimously passed the National Forensic Agency (NFA) Bill, 2024, incorporating key amendments to enhance forensic and cybercrime capabilities across Pakistan. The bill, introduced by Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi on October 17 and piloted in the Senate by Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar, aims to transform the NFA project into a fully independent and comprehensive agency.
The NFA is designed to address fragmented and inconsistent forensic services by integrating and upgrading conventional forensic laboratories and establishing a state-of-the-art digital forensic lab. The agency will provide services to all provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and both government and private forensic labs. The initiative also includes developing a center of excellence and a research and development (R&D) department, ensuring the agency is self-sustainable and reduces dependence on foreign governments and agencies.
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One of the primary focuses of the bill is to combat modern crimes, particularly those involving electronic devices, deep fakes, and other cyber offenses. The NFA will incorporate advanced digital and cyber forensic tools to tackle these challenges. The federal government had earlier proposed establishing a National Forensics and Cybercrime Agency (NFCA) to use artificial intelligence (AI) and smart digital technology in crime investigation, including DNA analysis, toxicology, ballistics, and other forensic methods.
Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar highlighted the need for an independent NFA to address the challenges posed by the current overloaded forensic infrastructure, particularly the Lahore forensic laboratory established in 2010 under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. He urged provincial governments to establish similar labs to strengthen forensic services nationwide.
The creation of a digital forensic lab under the NFA is expected to provide cutting-edge tools to eradicate crimes, streamline investigations, and standardize forensic capabilities across Pakistan.
Senators Quratulain Marri and Zamir Hussain Ghumro proposed amendments to the bill, which were approved unanimously by the Senate. The amendments aim to further refine the bill’s provisions, ensuring the NFA’s operational and legal framework is robust.
The official statement accompanying the bill emphasized the importance of using indigenous solutions to minimize reliance on foreign expertise, reflecting Pakistan’s commitment to developing its forensic and cybercrime capabilities.
The proposed agency will not only focus on traditional forensic methods, such as pathology, DNA analysis, fingerprints, and toxicology, but will also incorporate AI-driven solutions and smart digital technologies to address evolving crime trends.
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