DNA tests to help identify body: IG
KARACHI- Amid reports that police have found the remains of slaughtered American journalist Daniel Pearl, 10 pieces of a decomposed human body were exhumed in a farm, off Superhighway on Friday in the presence of a judicial magistrate, police and a six-member medical board.
The provincial police chief, Syed Kamal Shah, neither confirmed nor denied that it was Daniel Pearl’s body.
“Body viscera have been sent for medical examination and DNA test after which the identity of the body can be established”, Syed Kamal Shah told a news conference at the Driving Licence Branch in Clifton.
He categorically denied the arrest of three persons, believed to be affiliated with a proscribed organisation, and said: “We have not arrested anyone in this case.” He said “a source” led the police to the body but he was unaware about the identity or when it was buried there.
To a question, neither he refuted nor acknowledged as to whether the 1,000 square yards plot having a boundary wall was the property of Al-Rasheed Trust, a banned organisation.
The Inspector General Police (IGP) said that the ownership of the compound in which two small rooms are constructed, is being ascertained.
“We will answer to the question of ownership of the property after seeing the papers and revenue record”, he said, adding after verification of the ownership, it would be investigated as under what circumstances the burial was carried out and in whose possession the premises was.
About exhumation, he said on a tip-off, the police party, headed by Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) Investigation Manzoor Mughal, with a judicial magistrate, a medical board of six-experts, headed by Dr Qasim Soomro, and two musheers reached the spot and dug up the spotted place in Gulzar-i-Hijri police limits in a vacant plot having a compound wall near Ahsanabad, Gulshan-i-Maymar.
The digging started at 12:20pm on Friday by meeting all legal formalities. After three hours of digging to a depth of 4.5 feet, three feet in length and two feet in width, ten limbs of body were discovered. Those limbs found in the grave were skull, right arm with hand amputated from shoulder, left arm with hand amputated from shoulder, chest, abdomen, right thigh from hip to knee- joint, right leg from knee to foot, left thigh from hip to knee joint, left leg from knee to ankle and left foot, he added.
In addition to the body parts, three pieces of rope in green colour, three plastic bags in blue colour, and certain other things were also recovered.
He said the compound comprised an open space with two small rooms. In one room there were blood stains and their samples were also sent for medical examination. He said the body parts had been sent for medical examination and DNA testing. The facility of DNA testing was not available in Karachi and it was only available in Lahore.
“We can also seek foreign technical assistance, if needed in this respect”, he maintained. He said the body was preserved to save it from further decomposition.
The IGP told a questioner that he cannot say as to how much time these tests would take but the parts of the body would be at the disposal of analysts for the purpose of identification. “We have to rely on the opinion of experts, who would thoroughly analyze the DNA and other medical tests and then form an opinion, which will be binding for us.”
About DNA test results, he said it might take a couple of days or a week.
Without naming Daniel Pearl, the US journalist, throughout his press briefing, Kamal Shah said: “We have attached importance to the recovery of this body as there were strong rumours at national and international media.”
About the identification or any indication about Daniel’s body, the provincial police chief said: “We can’t form an opinion just after having a glance. We have to analyze from different angles and examine in depth. We also require technical experts’ opinion on each and every item found as evidence.”
To another question, he said: “We will match the DNA test report to all important persons missing.”
Exhumed parts kept in Edhi morgue: The exhumed body parts, suspected to be those of US journalist, Daniel Pearl, were kept in the Edhi morgue at Sohrab Goth, according to a statement issued by the Edhi Foundation, on Friday.
The statement said that the US has arranged for a special air- tight coffin to store the body parts and to keep them from further decomposition. The police were deployed outside the Edhi morgue and the key of the locked coffin was in the possession of the police, the Edhi sources said.
Another body, that of the suspected suicide bomber, is kept in the Edhi morgue at Moosa Lane, under the protection of the police and rangers, the press release said.
Source: Dawn
Date:5/18/2002
” 
” 
” 
” 
” 
