AbidNaseer2025-11-172025-11-172017https://escholar.umt.edu.pk/handle/123456789/10301Cultivation of Opium Poppy (PapaverSomniferum .L) is controlledthroughout the world due its key role in the manufacturing of illicit drug Heroin. As per law, the positive identification by a Forensic Laboratory is the first and basic requirement to proceed against the criminals. The poppy plant is identified by the chemical analysisof its organic extract. In a second opinion the chemical analysis may not be the only criterion for the exact identification of a species as it has some limitations. This research work was aimed to develop some method independent of chemical analysis to identify the poppy plant. Use of anatomical, morphological and molecular analysis for the identification of an intact plant at any growth stage may support the results of chemical analysis.The DNA based identification of opium poppy can be performed using a total of eight genetic markers. Out of these eight markers six are specific to some poppy plants while the other two are common to many land plants however the sequence of amplicons from these two can discriminate opium poppy from the other poppies. The experimental work performed here can be adopted for forensic analysis as per demand of the law. The results in this research concluded that DNA based identification of the controlled plants is a more authentic way for the identification as it contains less chances of error and can be adopted to identify the plant at any growth stage and from any part of the plant.enThesis