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 first case of rabies was reported in an eight-year-old girl who failed to receive timely treatment and later succumbed to the disease, which has
Child Rights in Focus
ISLAMABAD: Hundreds of missing manhole covers in the capital city have been posing a serious risk to citizens. Just two years ago, a father and his son lost their lives after falling into an uncovered manhole in Sector I-10. Following the incident, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) swung into action and began covering such manholes in what appeared to be a knee-jerk response. However, after a few weeks, the authority almost shelved this important
CHARSADDA: A ninth-grade student was killed allegedly by a fellow student following a dispute over comments on a TikTok post at a private school here on January 28. The slain student has been identified as Salman. The victim’s brother, Shehzad lodged an FIR with Mandani police station, stating that he was informed that his brother had an altercation with another student at the school. Upon reaching the school, he found Salman engaged in a
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 provided an opportunity to examine how Pakistan is translating its commitments under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, ratified in 1990,
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on January 28 sought replies from the federal government and other authorities on a petition seeking a ban on the use of social media by children under the age of 16. LHC Chief Justice Aalia Neelum heard the petition filed by Aliya Saleem and others through Advocate Shiza Qureshi on January 27. Justice Neelum observed that it was an important matter and a policy issue that should be
RAWALPINDI: The investigation into the abduction and murder of a 13-year-old girl from Mohallah Kashmiriyaan, Dhoke Hassu, in the Ratta Amral area of Rawalpindi has been transferred to the Crime Control Department (CCD) Rawalpindi, while a high-level team from the district police continues its inquiry. According to police, over the past four days, more than 30 suspicious individuals have been questioned, but the identity of the abductor and killer remains unknown. Authorities are also
RAWALPINDI: The Investigation Officer of Sadiqabad Police Station, who was probing the case involving the alleged rape of a 13-year-old domestic worker was suspended from service for allegedly declaring the real accused innocent and falsely implicating a male domestic worker. The victim is reportedly seven months pregnant. Sub-Inspector Taimoor Waqar, has been suspended and directed to report to the police lines following serious allegations that he accepted a substantial bribe, declared the original accused
GUJRANWALA: Police claimed to have solved the mysterious disappearance and murder of a three-year-old girl in the jurisdiction of Sadr Wazirabad police station, arresting the child’s paternal aunt who confessed to the crime after initially attempting to portray the incident as an abduction. The victim, Ayesha, daughter of Ehtesham, had gone missing from her home in the suburban village of Dhonkal. Police said the child suddenly disappeared while playing outside the house, prompting her
ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior will take up today (27 Jan) the Control of Narcotic Substances (Amendment) Bill, 2025, a key legislation aimed at tackling drug use in educational institutions by further amending the Control of Narcotic Substances Act, 1997. Introduced by PPP MNA Sahar Kamran, the proposed legislation aims to prevent drug use in educational institutions, promote student rehabilitation, protect mental health and introduce a treatment-based approach instead of a
In Pakistan, like many countries across the globe, menstruation is perceived as a shameful and private matter that is not meant to be discussed openly. Due to this culture of shame and secrecy, adolescent girls in Pakistan often lack accurate knowledge and awareness regarding menstruation. According to Shah et al. (2023), 51.7% of schoolgirls were unaware of menstruation before experiencing their first period. As a result of this limited knowledge, many girls associate menarche
ISLAMABAD: A rapid assessment of 120 girls’ schools in Swat district, carried out by Unesco, has revealed widespread damage to roofs, walls, and basic water and sanitation facilities, and called for a climate-resilient recovery to keep students learning safely. In a bid to restore safe learning environments, Unesco launched a rapid education infrastructure damage and climate resilience assessment across 120 government primary schools in four flood-affected areas of Swat. It found that more than 12,000 girls
TOBA TEK SINGH: As many as five accused were arrested for allegedly raping minors in separate cases from different areas of Faisalabad. In one case, the Mureedwala Police arrested a prayer leader of the village mosque for raping a 15-year-old girl and blackmailing her for 18 months. The victim’s uncle in his complaint to the police claimed that his niece was learning the Holy Quran from the accused’s wife, who forcibly raped her and