ISLAMABAD: Chairperson of the National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) Nilofar Bakhtiar on 8 June 2024 emphasised the need for focusing on the growth of differently-abled children, transgender children, and rehabilitation of children from sexual abuse. She was chairing the first meeting of the Steering Committee on the `Art of Parenting` initiative. The meeting was participated by partner organisations including the Aga Khan Development Network, the National Institute of Psychology from Quaid-i
Child Rights in Focus
THE curse of human trade has a doubly odious form child trafficking. Pakistan, too, is haunted by this ugly reality: its minors, boys and girls, have often been treated as commodities in this repellant business. It is in this context that the recent arrest of rights activist Sarim Burney on a `human trafficking complaint` by US authorities, and his two-day physical remand to FIA custody for an investigation into `child trafficking by way of
“NAT Findings Report 2023” takes in account representative random sample of 1,304 public schools who took the 2023 National Assessment Test (NAT) which was administered to over 23,000 Grade 4 and Grade 8 students across Pakistan. It assessed students on foundational literacy, English, Urdu, Sindhi, math, and science using scientifically developed multiple choice tests. On average, students scored highest in Grade 4 foundational literacy and Urdu/Sindhi, while performance was lowest in Grade 4 math,
MUZAFFARGARH: Police arrested on 7 June 2024 a seminary teacher for allegedly raping his two minor students students and threatening them with torture if they disclosed the assault. As per Daira Din Pannah police, the complainant, Jalal Din, said in his application that his son and a nephew, aged between 10-12 years, had been studying at Madressah Yaseen at Chak No 143/ ML for a couple of months. He said the boys told him
ISLAMABAD: Mortality rates associated with critical illness in children at Sindh government hospitals stand at 1.2pc, compared to the average of 6.3pc across 46 sites in 19 low-income countries, the latest research conducted by a US-based global health network regarding quality of paediatric emergency rooms (ERs) reveals. The one-year point prevalence study by PALISI Global Health, which was founded in 2002 with an aim to foster research to optimise the care of critically ill
ISLAMABAD: The Digital Rights Foundation (DRF) has expressed concerns over the on going surveillance of women and girls in private spaces through unregulated CCTV cameras in women`s shelters, hostels, universities, and salons, invading their right to privacy and dignity in private spaces. According to the 2023 Gender Gap report, Pakistan ranks 142 out of 146 countries in terms of gender parity, including economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment.
KARACHI: Pakistan has the world’s second highest number of out-of-school children whose numbers have grown dramatically since 2021. Deprived of life’s basic necessities, these children are more vulnerable to stress, trauma, and social isolation, leading to anxiety, depression and other mental health issues, shared an expert on the second day of a conference held on Friday. The conference titled `Healthy Futures: Preventing Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in Young Hearts and Minds` is organised by
PESHAWAR: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz MPA Sobia Shahid on 7 June 2024 submitted Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Child Marriage Restraint Bill, 2024 to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Secretariat. She said the bill was aimed to make child marriage a cognisable offence, adding under the bill, whoever committed the offence would be punished with rigorous imprisonment, which might extend to three years with a minimum term of two years. Ms Shahid said according to the Bill, a person
ON a cold morning in 1937, a remand home was inaugurated in Karachi under the Bombay Children Act, 1924. This remand home was later shifted to near Central Jail in Karachi, and is now functioning in accordance with the Sindh Children Act, 1955, and the Sindh Remand Homes Rules, 2011. Another remand home has been sanctioned in Nawabshah/ Shaheed Benazirabad, but it is non-functional. Despite the passage of nearly 90 years, there is only
Lahore: The Punjab Government has proposed amendments to laws regarding child marriage for extending the term “child” to individuals under 18 years of age. The proposal was shred by Finance Minister  Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman during a meeting of the Cabinet Standing Committee on Legislation and Enforcement on 6th June 2024. He said the aim of amending the Child Marriage Act of 1929 was to deter distinction among while enforcing the law. Changes in the
RAWALPINDI: The Education Department has approved three boys’ and 3 girls’ high schools as models eco-friendly schools in all 23 tehsils of Rawalpindi division. The Ministry of Education has asked the District Education Authority’s CEOs of all 42 districts of the province for the list of these schools by the end of this week. There will be tree planting and kitchen gardening in the model schools of each tehsil. Sources said that fruity shade
KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah approved on 5 June 2024 an additional amount of Rs520 million for the new under construction paediatric unit at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD). He was presiding over the 82nd governing body meeting of the institute at the CM House. The attendees included Health minister Dr Azra Pechuho, Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab, MPAs Sadiya Javed, Rukhsana Parveen, secretary finance Fayaz Jatoi, secretary to CM