I. Understanding child protection Child protection, as generally understood under various federal and provincial acts of Pakistan, refers to the prevention and response to violence, exploitation, abuse, and neglect experienced by children. It encompasses the systems, services, and legal mechanisms that are put in place to identify children at risk and intervene on their behalf. The concept of child protection is narrower than the broader concept of child rights. Child rights extend to survival,
Child Rights in Focus
KARACHI: A judicial magistrate on July 21 remanded two relatives in police custody, who were allegedly involved in the killing of a minor girl in Quaidabad last month. On June 24, three-year-old Kalsoom was kidnapped and later her body was found in a gunny bag just outside her residence in Muslimabad Colony. The investigating officer of the case brought the suspects — a male cousin and sister-in-law of the father of the deceased girl —
BAJAUR: Terrorists blew up a government school in War Mamund tehsil of Bajaur district on the night of July 20. Officials and residents told Dawn on July 21 that the incident took place in the Kharkai area within the limits of War Mamund police station. Residents said that unidentified miscreants entered the school and planted multiple explosive devices inside the building. They said the explosives went off with a bang, significantly damaging the building
ISLAMABAD: The Shariat Appellate Bench of the Supreme Court has rejected an appeal against the death sentence of a convict involved in the rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl in Karachi’s Landhi area, while upholding the verdicts of trial court and the high court. A five-member Shariat Appellate Bench, headed by Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, heard the appeal. During the proceedings, the counsel for the convict argued that neither was his client’s DNA
LAHORE: A matriculation student and son of senior Daily Jang journalist Iqbal Nadeem, 16-year-old Saad Nadeem, was shot dead by two armed men on Canal Road in Harbanspura while he was travelling with his father on a motorcycle to attend a court hearing. According to the complaint, motorcycle-riding shooters Zubair Hassan and Niaz opened fire on Saad, seriously injuring him. He was rushed to hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds. The incident stemmed
• Tally rises to 94 as Sindh govt had earlier confirmed 78 cases at Valika Hospital • Ombudsman orders comprehensive audit of hospital’s affairs KARACHI: Sindh Ombudsman Mohammad Sohail Rajput was informed on July 21 that 16 more children were infected with HIV/AIDs at the Sindh Employees Social Security Institution (SESSI)-run Kulsoom Bai Valika Hospital. The ombudsman was hearing a case pertaining to an HIV outbreak at Valika Hospital, where the provincial government confirmed that 78
OKARA: A teenage boy suffered critical burn injuries after allegedly setting himself ablaze by sprinkling petrol over his body. He was shifted to Lahore for treatment after receiving initial medical care. The victim identified as Abu Bakr (17) was rescued by Rescue 1122 and taken to the South City DHQ Hospital. Owing to the severity of his injuries, he was later referred to the Sahiwal Teaching Hospital and shifted to a hospital in Lahore.
A two-year-old boy who was kidnapped from a private housing society within the jurisdiction of the Manghopir police station on July 18 was recovered safely from Gharo in Thatta district and reunited with his parents following a joint operation by Karachi and Thatta police. Speaking to reporters, SSP West Tariq Ilahi Mastoi said the child, identified as Azaan, son of Wahab Ali, was rescued during a coordinated operation after investigators traced ransom calls to
Researchers, government officials and Unicef representatives on July 20 warned that millions of Pakistani children remained vulnerable to lead poisoning and urged the media to highlight the largely overlooked public health threat and its preventable sources. The call came at a day-long media workshop organised by the Lead Exposure Elimination Project (LEEP) in collaboration with Unicef Pakistan and Commsman Consultants at the Karachi Press Club. More than 30 health and environment journalists from leading
The mystery surrounding the murder of a young girl in District Malir has been solved after an extensive police investigation, which revealed that the child was allegedly killed by her own aunt over domestic disputes and jealousy. The shocking case had initially baffled investigators after the girl’s body was found wrapped in a sack inside the main gate of her family’s house. District Malir police chief Dr Abdul Khaliq Pirzada said the case was
LARKANA: The remains of a girl, aged 10-12 years, were recovered from a dried pond near the Pir Kamal Qureshi shrine in the Ghaibi Dero area of Qambar-Shahdadkot district on July 20. The victim was identified as Nighat, daughter of Abdul Hayee Jahtak Brohi, a resident of Masti Jahtak village. The girl had gone missing six days ago from the shrine. Her family was on a visit to the shrine for rituals and blessings.
GUJRAT: An 11-year-old student of a madressah (seminary) was allegedly gang-raped by his four fellow students, who also recorded a video of the episode, at Kotla Qasim Kham village in Lalamusa Saddar police precincts. The police claimed to have arrested all the four suspects aged between 13 and 16 years. Nawaz Gujjar of Thargla village lodged a complaint with the police that his grandson ‘Z’ had been staying and studying at a seminary at