Biometrics could ID abandoned bodies in Pakistan if 3 years of bickering ended

Pakistan‘s National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) is developing biometric systems to identify dead bodies by fingerprints, reports local news outlet Baaghi TV.

According to court documents reportedly seen by the broadcaster, biometric identification would cost 200 Pakistani rupees ($2.43) for each body. On-going bureaucratic arguing has prevented progress on the idea.

Biometric identification for corpses came up after hospital workers became understandably unhappy with the number of unverified, abandoned dead bodies left in medical facilities.

It became a crisis at Nishtar Hospital in Punjab, where, allegedly, abandoned bodies were “desecrated” and used for “witchcraft.” Three doctors from Nishtar’s anatomy department were implicated in the situation.

A biometric answer has been forwarded but getting systems on the ground soon is doubtful.

A lawyer for the doctor who convinced a Lahore High Court judge fingerprint scanning was possible and necessary has said three meetings over three years have yet to settle disputes between key stakeholders: NADRA, health department officials and the central government’s Home department, according to Baaghi TV.

Two years ago, the High Court directed the three governmental institutions to sign a memorandum of understanding for deploying biometric fingerprint scanners for use on abandoned bodies in 26 government hospitals, 115 townships and 44 teaching hospitals in Punjab, according to regional news publisher Dawn.

The system is ready today, but the three institutions would still be debating who should pay for it.

In the meantime, the Lahore facial recognition surveillance project, estimated to cost the Pakistani province Rs12 billion (US$51.7 million), has been recently facing significant challenges just functioning.

Nearby Nepal has also considered using biometrics to identify unclaimed bodies.

Article Topics

biometric identification  |  biometrics  |  fingerprint biometrics  |  forensics  |  identity verification  |  NADRA  |  Pakistan