Perspective - Page 4

Insights From the 2023 Census Report

The 2023 Census conducted by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics released its complete report in July 2024 indicates that the total population of Pakistan is 240 million out of which the population of children under 18 is 112 Million (47% of the total population). Children Population (under 18) Population under 18 Total Male Female Transgender Pakistan 112,472,700 58,099,978 54,370,121 2,601…

Juvenile Offenders in Punjab

The total number of convicted and undertrial juveniles imprisoned in various borstal institutes and jails of Punjab province was 645 as on 15 March 2022 (Prisons Department, Govt. of Punjab). Out of the total number of juvenile offenders, 81% (523) juveniles were on trial (under trial) and 19% were convicted…

Grace Marks by Sindh Government

In a move as surprising as it is contentious, the Sindh provincial…

deficiencies in Pakistan's education system

The Impact of Pakistan’s Education System

What PM Shehbaz Sharif blurted out recently isn’t quite a national secret.…

AI In The Classroom

LAST week Abu Dhabi hosted the ‘Machines Can Think 2026’ conference. Given the region’s enthusiastic embrace of AI, the availability of resources for ambitious approaches, and the openness to pursue them, I was most interested in one particular panel discussion session, titled ‘AI Classroom — Rethinking Education for the Knowledge…

Humour in Classrooms

WHEN I look back on my years of education — K-12 to university — and across cultures, and think of the good or outstanding teachers I had — and I did have some — among the many traits of such teachers, the one I find seldom talked about is their…

Children Betrayed

JUST when we thought Pakistan had made meaningful progress and the debate on child marriage was nearly settled, a spanner has been thrown into the spokes of reform. Four years after the Federal Shariat Court’s ruling in 2021 that setting a minimum marriage age is not in contradiction with Islam,…

Digital Sexual Exploitation

As the international world processes the heinous amounts of child sexual abuse data released from the Epstein files, at home the National Cyber Crimes Investigation Agency of FIA has uncovered a major network involved in the sexual exploitation of children via blackmail. A prime suspect, hailing from Murree, has been…

For Distressed Children, Railway Stations Become a Refuge

LAHORE: Railway stations across Pakistan are increasingly becoming refuge points for children fleeing troubled homes, as poverty, domestic tensions, corporal punishment, and the influence of social media push minors onto the streets. According to official data shared by Pakistan Railways Police, 658 children, including 413 boys and 245 girls, were…

A Stronger Nation Begins in the Classroom

Education is one of the most powerful tools for national development. It shapes individuals, builds nations and strengthens societies. A strong education system creates skilled human capital, promotes economic growth and develops a sense of equality and social justice. In Pakistan, however, education has been a subject of endless debate…

School Meal Programme Launched in Bhakkar

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif inaugurated a Danish School in Mankera, Bhakkar, and launched the School Meal Programme at Government Primary School Kisanwala, terming education and nutrition key pillars for a brighter future of children. During a visit, the chief minister announced the upgradation of three schools in…

Rabies Deaths

The population of stray dogs in Karachi has been steadily increasing for quite a few years, with no humane plan of action in place to control it. Multiple attacks, injuries and deaths are reported every year, yet the government remains clueless in ensuring both prevention and timely treatment. This year, the…

Beyond the CRC review

Pakistan’s sixth and seventh periodic review before the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC), held in Geneva on January 15-16, 2026, marked an important moment of reflection and accountability, examining progress made since the previous review in 2016. More than a formal reporting obligation, the review…

Educational Gaps

Matriculation and intermediate examinations in Sindh have long been rampant with allegations of bribery-related corruption, mismanagement and thriving cheating networks. And it seems that the Sindh government is least bothered about reforms at a foundational level, instead engaging in rolling out modern initiatives that are akin to concealing real issues.…