KARACHI, Feb 5: Families of the persons missing since the Oct 18 bomb attacks on former prime minister Benazir Bhutto’s homecoming procession are still clueless about the fate of their loved ones though they have deposited blood samples to relevant authorities entrusted with the task of matching such samples with DNA profiles created from unidentified body parts collected from the blast site.

The exercise appears to be headed towards a dead end due in part to the lethargic attitude of police authorities and in part to the delay in results of match of blood samples with the DNA profiles, causing hopes entertained by at least four families to fade. The families had deposited their blood samples twice for the match.

“We have been waiting for results from the Dr A.Q. Khan Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering,” said a police officer on the condition of anonymity. “First we collected blood samples on our own and deposited them to the institute, but they refused to accept them and said they would collect the samples on their own.”

He said this hiccup delayed the process for a few days as police were waiting for the final call from the institute but it emerged that they needed the missing persons’ relatives to collect fresh blood samples.“Now we have learnt that it may take another week or two to get the final results of such matching and then we would be in a position to comment at least about these four families,” he added.

Among the hundreds of thousands of people who gathered to welcome Benazir Bhutto on Oct 18, more than 20 were reported missing after the midnight attacks on the PPP chairperson’s procession near Karsaz, which killed over 140 and wounded 400 others.

The process to trace such people through the DNA tests of the victims’ remains began in November last year but after more than two months it is unlikely to come to a conclusion. The whole exercise has resulted only in disappointment to the families of the missing persons.

Distressed by the irresponsible attitude of the authorities and the institutions concerned, most of the families did not bother to deposit their blood samples and preferred to presume their loved ones as dead. However, four of them still wait for the results of their blood samples with the DNA profiles, which may have brought their desperation to an end.

“We can’t understand the reason behind the delay,” said Farooq Awan, elder brother of Rizwan, who is among more than a dozen people missing since Oct 18. “We are in touch with police, but have received neither a positive response nor a negative one.”Police authorities also appear least hopeful of any positive outcome of the whole exercise and have issued a ‘hue and cry’ notice for police stations across the country as another effort to find any clue to the untraced people.

“A hue and cry notice under Police Rules 79/22-B has been issued, which has been pasted in each and every SP office and prominent police station of the country,” said a police official, adding: “The notice carries names and photographs of some 19 missing persons. Normally the notice is issued when all efforts for a missing person’s search end without result.”

He said police were not responsible of any delay, as it was the legal process and formalities, which needed extra care and time to handle such sensitive issues.

“First we compiled the data of missing persons, contacted their families and then approached the institute concerned with their blood samples. Now our job is almost over and we are just waiting for their (institute’s) response,” he added.