The criminal justice system of Pakistan still has a long way to go before Pakistanis actually start relying on it. One of the reasons why justice often is a distant dream for many is because of the lack of proper investigative methods to solve the case. Many a times forensic evidence is needed to get a better idea of situation at hand, similar to the case of Zainab in Kasur. In such instances, forensic evidence takes the search way ahead and gives a clear strategy to follow. This is why the European Union (EU) has also pressurised Pakistan to establish a professional network of forensic evidence so that the justice system can become a strong pillar of the criminal justice system.

Just because the attention from the Zainab case has deviated a bit due to recent developments in the country and the main suspect being arrested but that does not mean that the authorities can sit idle now. They should not wait for another tragedy to up their game and make the justice system more effective. There have been instances in the past as well where forensic evidence was required but due to lack of facilities the case could not be solved. One such case is the Faizabad sit-in where the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) refused to cooperate with the Intelligence Bureau (IB) in order to trace a call that disclosed the distribution of a certain amount to the participants of the sit-in.

Recent cases which require the use of forensic evidence are two rape cases in Okara and a gang rape in Lahore. These cases may not have made to the limelight but require advance mechanisms to find the culprits behind them. In such scenarios, it is the job of the government to realise what the system lacks and what will help in achieving and creating a set up which facilitates the investigators and makes finding culprits a little less difficult.

Just as the Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA) has been empowered due to the collaboration with EU and it has witnessed improvement in the way cases are handled, the same route should be followed throughout the country.