KARACHI: A recently conducted government-commissioned survey has revealed that Punjab has better education and health facilities compared to other provinces, while Sindh and Balochistan remain the most underdeveloped province in this regard. These figures come from the Household Integrated Economic Survey 2024-25, conducted by the federal institution, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. The survey is carried out every five years; however, this was the first time a digital survey was conducted. According to the
Child Rights in Focus
PESHAWAR: A 16-year-old boy was fatally shot when police opened fire on a vehicle that failed to stop at a checkpoint in Hayatabad’s Industrial Road area, triggering outrage among locals and prompting a road blockade protest by the victim’s family. According to police and family accounts, the incident occurred when the teenager, identified as Talha Ali son of Manzoor Ali, resident of Safaid Dheri, was returning from shopping in the Jamrud industrial area along
• Unicef says children’s photos are being manipulated and sexualised through AI tools • In some countries, as many as one in 25 children reported having their images turned into sexual deepfakes ISLAMABAD: Unicef has said it is increasingly alarmed by reports of a rapid rise in the volume of AI-generated sexualised images circulating online, including cases in which photographs of children have been manipulated and sexualised. The organisation has urged governments and industry
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, the debate has resurfaced. This time, it has done so with a troubling precedent set by JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman — in the
LAHORE: An unidentified four-year-old girl is currently receiving medical treatment at Lahore General Hospital (LGH) after being shifted from Kasur in a suspected case of sexual assault, officials from the hospital and police said on February 4. The child was initially brought to the District Headquarters Hospital in Kasur by personnel of Lalyani Mustafa Abad Police Station, according to sources. Given the seriousness of her condition and the limited availability of specialised pediatric surgical
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 recovered from various railway stations during 2025 after running away from home. Following verification and legal formalities, all the children were handed back to
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 and disappointment. Politicians, analysts and citizens frequently express frustration over the poor state of schools and the lack of opportunities for millions of children.
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 Mankera, following which notifications were issued in this regard. The Government Girls Primary School Kisanwala was upgraded to elementary level, while the elementary schools
ISLAMABAD: As online spaces grow increasingly unsafe for children, Pakistan is facing an unprecedented surge in digital evidence linked to child sexual exploitation and abuse, with nearly one million referrals received each year; therefore, swift identification of the most urgent cases has become a critical national priority. In response, the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has launched ‘Katalyst’, an AI-enabled investigative tool designed to strengthen the country’s capacity to detect, prioritise, and investigate
RAWALPINDI: Authorities have exposed a major network involved in producing, buying and selling obscene videos of children, arresting a key operative and recovering more than 600 videos. The suspect, identified as Taimur Mahmood, a resident of Murree, was arrested from Rawalpindi by the National Cyber Crimes Investigation Agency (NCCIA). According to authorities, he posed as a girl on social media to lure underage boys and then blackmailed them through obscene videos. Data retrieved from
LAHORE: Several digital and child rights groups have cautioned that blanket bans or age-based prohibitions on children’s access to social media are a flawed and regressive response to risks including online abuse, exploitation, harassment and exposure to harmful content. Such measures shift responsibility away from the government and technology companies and place the burden on children and families, the Digital Rights Foundation, Search for Justice, Child Rights Movement (Punjab), and Children Advocacy Network (Pakistan)
KARACHI: Experts have raised concerns that negligence in child rearing is seriously affecting the mental development and growth of children, with many showing signs of psychological issues from an early age. Feeding infants with bottles instead of breastfeeding is contributing to infections, while excessive exposure to mobile phones and cartoons is negatively impacting cognitive development. These observations were made by leading paediatricians during the inaugural session of a two-day National Conference on Child Health,