A sting operation at one of Pakistan's premier medical institutions has exposed a thriving trade in fraudulent medico-legal certificates, prompting senior physicians to demand a fundamental overhaul of how forensic evidence is documented and processed. Main Developments The Federal Investigation Agency's (FIA) Islamabad Zone is actively investigating officials at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) following a carefully orchestrated trap raid last month. Conducted under the supervision of a judicial magistrate and with prior approval from the competent authority, the operation saw an FIA officer pose as an injured person. Marked currency was paid as an advance for a fake medico-legal certificate, leading to the red-handed arrest of three suspects, including a medico-legal officer. Investigators also seized old records of fabricated MLCs from the site, suggesting the practice was not an isolated incident. Read also: Why Pakistan's new provinces plan is facing a wall of resistance An FIR has been registered under multiple provisions of the Pakistan Penal Code — Sections 420, 468, 471 and 109 — alongside Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947. The charges span cheating, forgery, using forged documents as genuine, criminal conspiracy and corruption. Background Pakistan operates a modified continental legal system, which one senior Pims official described as inherently flawed due to its dichotomy. Dr Saifur Rehman, the hospital's deputy director with postgraduate qualifications in forensic medicine, explained that this hybrid approach creates structural weaknesses in evidence handling. A critical gap lies in police procedure: officers ranked BPS-17 and above are generally not assigned field duties involving medico-legal and post-mortem documentation. Instead, constables, head constables, assistant sub-inspectors and sub-inspectors — often lacking specialised training — handle these crucial tasks. Similarly, hospitals assign medico-legal responsibilities to BPS-17 doctors with basic MBBS degrees, even though the role ideally demands postgraduate expertise in medical jurisprudence. This skills mismatch leaves the system vulnerable to abuse. Why It Matters The scandal has become a source of embarrassment for both the hospital administration and the health ministry, according to a senior doctor who requested anonymity. Beyond reputational damage, fake medico-legal certificates undermine the integrity of criminal investigations and court proceedings. Dr Rehman pointed to the United States' medical examiner system as a superior alternative. In that model, a doctor with postgraduate qualifications in medical jurisprudence serves as the medical examiner, conducting both the inquest at the death scene and the subsequent autopsy. This continuity ensures no information is lost between stages. What's Next Dr Rehman has urged Parliament, legislative bodies and all relevant stakeholders to introduce reforms to both the criminal justice system and hospital medico-legal departments. He specifically recommended establishing specialised forensic units within police and hospital structures. The FIA inquiry continues against Pims officials, and the arrested suspects face legal proceedings under the registered FIR. Whether this case catalyses the systemic reforms doctors are demanding remains an open question.