The Education Department, acting through the district administrations, has issued show-cause notices to teachers and heads of government schools that recorded poor results in the Class IX (Matric Part I) examinations. Across the Rawalpindi Division, Deputy Commissioners (DCs) have begun summoning staff from underperforming schools for personal hearings – a move that has provoked strong protests from teachers’ associations. All government boys’ and girls’ schools with pass rates below 30% have been targeted for
Child Rights in Focus
ISLAMABAD: A new assessment carried out by humanitarian aid organisation, Islamic Relief, reveals that 60 per cent of families in the badly affected areas of Buner and Swat have lost their livelihood by flash floods and there have also been massive destruction of homes and farms. The Islamic Relief’s emergency response team is on the ground distributing food and water, and the team’s assessment found that 73 percent of houses are destroyed or partially damaged; sixty
LAHORE: Rana Sikandar Hayat, Punjab Education Minister, has announced punitive action against public schoolteachers whose students consistently performed poorly in board examinations across the province. The minister, who is currently in the US, took to social media and revealed that for the first time, the department is conducting a comprehensive analysis of Grade 9 and 10 results across the province. Rana Sikandar further observed that the action would be based on this analysis and
LAHORE: A 17-year-old schoolgirl allegedly committed suicide by taking poisonous pills in Guldasht Town on August 21. The deceased was identified as Minahil, a resident of ChungiDogaij, Guldasht Town. Minahil, a ninth-grade student, went into severe depression after failing her examinations. In a state of despair, she consumed poisonous pills, which deteriorated her condition and proved fatal. Edhi volunteers shifted the body to the mortuary after necessary police formalities. Police said further investigation is
Rawalpindi: Police have launched a formal investigation after a man filed a complaint alleging his young daughter was assaulted by three men in the Wah Cantt area. The incident came to light on Thursday evening when the father, a factory worker, returned home and found his 12-year-old daughter in distress. According to the complaint, the girl had been returning home after a religious lesson at approximately 5:30 p.m. when she was allegedly forced into
LAST month, I travelled through Pakistan’s four provinces to oversee UNFPA projects and initiatives. I also engaged with partners to get their perspectives on development amid the recent geopolitical and funding challenges. During these visits, I connected with various partners, officials and intellectuals. One particularly moving — and painful — conversation was with Sania, an exceptionally talented 18-year-old from a remote village. Reflecting on her brief life journey, Sania shared some of her memories
Passenger pulls five-year-old back inside car ISLAMABAD: A minor boy narrowly escaped a ‘stunt-oriented’ road mishap on Srinagar Highway between G-9 and G-10 on Thursday. The child, approximately five or six years old, was seen hanging dangerously out of a Baleno car window. Only his legs remained inside the vehicle while the rest of his body was outside. An eyewitness, a mother named Amna, reported that the boy lost his balance and nearly fell
Recent data published by the interior ministry has revealed that our capital city has had 200 cases of child sexual abuse registered between January 2021 and June 2025. While the high number of cases is a major crisis in its own right, what makes it even more harrowing is that this bitter reality exists in the country’s capital itself. At an estimated population of over 1 million, Islamabad fares ahead of all urban and
PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Disaster Management Authority on August 20 said the death toll from the recent flash floods in the province had reached 385, with 182 people suffering injuries due to the natural calamity. In a statement issued in the provincial capital, the PDMA said Buner district had recorded the highest number of 228 deaths in flood-related incidents, while 41 people were killed in Swabi. Meanwhile, Swabi deputy commissioner Nasarullah Khan revealed
LAHORE : A meeting was held in the Specialised Health Care and Medical Education Department under the chairmanship of Provincial Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique and Secretary Health Azmat Mahmood regarding the Chief Minister’s Children’s Heart Surgery Programme. During the meeting, a detailed review of the programme was held. Khawaja Salman Rafique was briefed on the monitoring framework, service delivery and steps taken for the convenience of the patients. During the meeting, the report
The Punjab government has approached the Sindh government to initiate a teaching licence system in the province, similar to Sindh’s. A delegation from the Punjab Education Department met Sindh Education Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah to consult on policies and experiences regarding the process of issuing teaching licences. The meeting in Karachi was attended by Focal Person for the Chief Minister Punjab’s Advisory on Education Shakeel Ahmed Bhatti, Punjab Education Secretary Khalid Nazir Wattoo,
Rawalpindi: The Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) Rawalpindi on August 20 announced the results of the Secondary School Certificate (SSC-1) (9th Class) Examination 2025. The results were declared at 10 a.m. in a ceremony held at the board office, attended by Chairman BISE Rawalpindi Muhammad Adnan Khan, Controller of Examinations Tanveer Asghar Awan, Secretary Professor Amjad Iqbal Khattak, and other senior officials. According to official figures, a total of 128,453 candidates submitted