RAWALPINDI: Punjab Minister for Health Khawaja Salman Rafique on June 5 said three state-of-the-art centres of excellence will be established in different districts under the Punjab Nursing and Health Workforce Reform Programme. “Mother and Child Hospital (near Asghar Mall) will be completed by next year and it will minimise burden on the three existing government hospitals in Rawalpindi,” he said. The minister stated this during a visit to Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute and
Child Rights in Focus
PAKISTAN’S latest sub-national polio campaign offers encouraging evidence that the country can still push back against a virus that has proved stubbornly difficult to eliminate. Reaching more than 18.6m children across 79 high-risk districts and achieving 98pc coverage is no small feat. Behind it was the dedication of over 163,000 front-line workers who went door to door, often in difficult conditions, to ensure that children received life-saving protection. Particularly noteworthy was the effort to
ISLAMABAD: More than five years after the passage of a landmark child protection law, key provisions of the Zainab Alert, Response and Recovery Act, 2020 — including the agency meant to issue rapid alerts for missing children — remain unimplemented, the Islamabad High Court was told on June 4. During the hearing of a writ petition filed by Sanila Khurram against the Federation of Pakistan and others, the court took notice of data submitted by
SWABI: The police on 3rd June recovered a girl, who was allegedly sold for Rs50,000 to a man from Punjab, and arrested three accused. The incident occurred in the Chota Lahor tehsil, the police said, adding that the girl’s father, Ayaz Khan, was reportedly kept in the dark about the matter by his wife. Haris Khan, a relative of Ayaz, while filing a report in the Chota Lahor city police station, said that Ayaz
• Official report links legal reforms, specialised investigation units and gender-based violence courts for sharp increase • Police cite better evidence handling and coordination with medico-legal officers; majority of cases still end in acquittals KARACHI: The conviction rate in rape cases in Sindh rose to 22 per cent in 2025 from 5pc in 2020, owing to a range of factors, including legal reforms, the establishment of gender-based violence courts and the formation of specialised
PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has directed the education department to immediately initiate work on the legal framework for the construction of 72 Chief Minister Model Schools across the province. He stated this while chairing a meeting on the initiative, which is part of the government’s education reform agenda, according to a statement issued here on June 3. Afridi emphasised that the schools would be equipped with modern teaching methodologies, highly trained
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
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