Child Domestic Labor as Modern-Day Slavery

14-year-old Rizwana was allegedly subjected to brutal torment over a sustained period of some six months by her employer in Islamabad. When her parents received Rizwana, the child was in critical condition. They went to the police station to lodge a first information report (FIR) against the employer, the wife…

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The Crises of Malnutrition in Pakistan

Hailing from Gharo, Lachmi, aged two months and weighing just eight kilogrammes, was brought to our clinic by her very worried mother, who reported that she was not able to breastfeed Lachmi as she could not afford meals most days. Lachmi underwent various tests before being diagnosed with Severe Acute…

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The Impact of Pakistan’s Education System

What PM Shehbaz Sharif blurted out recently isn’t quite a national secret. Though none in high office can admit it publicly, in a moment of despair he admitted that wherever he visits, disdain is written on the faces of hosts. Respecting those who keep asking for loans and rollovers is…

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Challenges and Obstacles for Human Rights Commissions in Pakistan

National and sub-national human rights commissions, established under the Paris Principles, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1993, are independent institutions responsible for protecting and promoting human rights at the national and regional levels. In simple terms, these commissions act as watchdogs and advocates, who keep a close…

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The Burden of Child Marriage

In many regressive societies, the term ‘child bride’ calls to mind the unsavoury practice of marrying a child, even a preteen, to someone much, much older. This is true for South Asian countries, including Pakistan and Afghanistan, carrying the highest burden of child marriage in the world. Recent Unicef estimates…

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Decline in child marriages is slow

According to UNICEF, child marriages are on the decline, but not so much that they could be abolished for another 300 years, while a perfect storm of crises could still reverse the trend. “We have definitely made progress in abolishing the practise of child marriage, especially in the last 10…

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