ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has upheld a sentence awarded to a child rapist and a murderer, ruling that individuals who voluntarily become intoxicated cannot claim exemption from criminal liability. “Intoxication caused by one’s own negligence or recklessness does not excuse the offence,” affirmed Justice Muhammad Hashim Khan Kakar in a three-page verdict he authored. The court ruling has put to rest the defence advanced by appellant Sunni Masih, who during the trial had taken
Child Rights in Focus
SAHIWAL: Fateh Sher police have booked two brothers, one of them claiming to be a faith-healer, for allegedly raping a minor girl working as a help in their house repeatedly. As per the police sources, ‘AM’, a tailor by profession, resided in Furniture Bazaar in Sahiwal, along with his brother ‘AS’. The police say that ‘AM’ claimed to be a Pir (faith healer), attracting a large number of people who sought “spiritual blessing” and
SOUTH WAZIRISTAN: Ten children were diagnosed with measles in the Spin area of Wana tehsil, raising concerns among residents about a possible outbreak of the contagious disease. According to residents, the cases were reported over the last two days when children from two separate households developed symptoms associated with measles. Six children from one family and four from another were affected by the disease and were taken to a private hospital in the Wana
LAHORE: An 18-year-old alleged gang rape victim girl died during a critical procedure carried out at a government hospital following multiple abortion-related complications. The girl (a domestic helper) was allegedly subjected to gang rape by the son and driver of her employer in Model Town. As per the FIR and the video statement of the girl, she was sexually assaulted multiple times by the two suspects some months back and her employer kept the
MOHMAND: Participants of a youth conference here on Monday called for the declaration of an education emergency, expressing concern over the growing number of out-of-school children and the deteriorating state of educational infrastructure in the district. The event, titled Education for All, was organised by the Mohmand Students Union in collaboration with the District Youth Office at the Jawan Markaz, located in Captain Roohullah Shaheed Sports Stadium, Ghalanai. Representatives of the Awami National Party,
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan National Heart Association (Panah) has claimed that Pakistan has been facing a national health emergency that requires strong and sustained action. “National health data paints an alarming picture: cardiovascular diseases account for nearly one-third of all deaths in the country; diabetes affects approximately 31 percent of adults—one of the highest prevalence rates in the world; obesity continues to rise, with nearly 40pc of adults classified as overweight or obese; and Pakistan spends
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) has ruled that financial hardship cannot relieve a father of his legal, moral and religious obligation to provide maintenance for his minor child, declaring the responsibility a continuous duty protected under both Islamic and Pakistani law. In a detailed 15-page judgment, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani held that a father’s obligation to support his minor child cannot be waived through private agreements, settlements or compromises, as the child’s right
PESHAWAR: The elementary and secondary education department on May 31 issued guidelines for summer camps in public and private schools to cover the learning losses that occurred due to shortening the week to four days in light of the petroleum crisis that emerged in the wake of the Iran-US war. The guidelines have been issued for the successful conduct of camps in all summer zone schools of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and will be applicable for
BAHAWALPUR: Bahawalpur Saddar police claimed on May 31 to have arrested a man who allegedly raped a minor boy on the night of May 30. According to the police, ‘H’ (13), son of Abdul Malik, a resident of Javed Colony, Bahawalpur, was returning from the tailor’s shop, where he worked as an apprentice, when the suspect, ‘F’, lured him to his house, where he served the boy a spiked drink. When the boy fell
MUZAFFARABAD: A groom, his father and a cousin were arrested in the early hours of May 31 after celebratory firing at a wedding claimed the life of a nine-year-old boy, police said. City Police Station House Officer (SHO) Manzar Hussain Chughtai told Dawn that police received information late on Saturday night that a boy, identified as Haider Ali, son of Majid Malik, had been struck in the head by a bullet and shifted to
TOBA TEK SINGH: Batala Colony police registered a murder case against six persons, including a woman posing as a doctor and her five accomplices in Faisalabad. Police arrested two of the suspects. Reports said a woman and her newborn baby allegedly died due to the negligence of a quack in Faisalabad on May 30, prompting the deceased woman’s relatives to stage a protest outside a private facility, Abdul Shakoor Trust Hospital, located on Hilal
PESHAWAR: Officials in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa health department warn that the opening of the 300-bed Peshawar Children Hospital, affiliated with the Khyber Institute of Child Health, is likely to remain in limbo if the Rs2 billion bridge financing promise for the project isn’t fulfilled by the provincial government by the end of next month. Last December, the provincial government declared the Khyber Institute of Child Health a medical teaching institution and announced a board