ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has established a new Directorate of Forensic Lab within its Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to enhance its capacity to examine digital equipment, travel documents and probe financial fraud cases, an FIA spokesperson said on Monday.
The FIA is Pakistan’s premier investigative agency responsible for handling a wide range of national and transnational crimes, including cybercrime, human trafficking, immigration violations, financial fraud, militancy and corruption.
Within the agency, investigators faced challenges including outdated tools, limited funding, and a lack of advanced hardware and software for forensic investigations, according to officials.
The agency previously outsourced forensic analyzes, particularly of documents, digital media and banking frauds, to the overburdened Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA) or regional labs, leading to delayed results.
“Restructuring process continues in FIA as a new Directorate of Forensic Lab [has been] established at the headquarters of the agency,” FIA spokesperson Abdul Ghafoor told Arab News, adding the new facility would enhance the FIA’s forensic examination capabilities and modernize its investigative process.
