The rift over the assent for the madrassa bill has come to a pass. The President of the Republic has finally signed it into law after a hiatus, which apparently was aimed at arm-twisting an ally of the coalition government. The JUIF, which was part of the controversial 26th amendment to the Constitution, had grabbed the religious school’s registration law as a concession for throwing its weight behind the legislation package. With the Societies
Child Rights in Focus
Critical education development projects remain stalled as the year nears its end due to severe economic constraints in the Rawalpindi district. The Rawalpindi College Directorate had proposed 14 projects worth Rs2.36 billion to address persistent admission issues and enhance facilities in government colleges. These projects included upgrading laboratories and libraries, establishing four new colleges, completing the long-delayed Postgraduate Girls College in Dhok Dalal, constructing new buildings for two colleges, and adding halls, auditoriums, and
QUETTA: Governor Balochistan Shiekh Jaffar Khan Mandokheil has applauded the announcement of the establishment of a Danish School in Zhob to ensure quality education for local youth. He said that the approval of the school establishment marked the beginning of a new era of educational opportunities and development for the people of Zhob. The Governor expressed his special thanks to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, stating that the school would be a ray of hope
MITHI: Young schoolchildren coming from nine districts of the province highlighted issues relating to their studies and institutions at a mock assembly convened in the Tharparkar District Council hall with the joint collaboration of Unicef, Thar Education Alliance (TEA) and Sindh government’s Reform Support Unit on 30th December. The students, acting as lawmakers, first elected a woman, Siddah Raza Kazmi, as the chief minister for the ‘Sindh Children’s Assembly’ and then tabled motions calling
LAHORE: Punjab Minister for School Education Rana Sikandar Hayat has said the government has introduced reforms and initiatives during its 10-month tenure in the year 2024 and termed it a transformative year for education in the province. Presenting the performance report of his ministry for the year 2024, he claimed that their work had outpaced the achievements of the previous government’s entire term. “2024 was a year of historic education reforms in Punjab. In
• Despite end of the calendar year, total tally will become clear well into January as collected samples are tested • Officials blame data forgery, use of vaccination drive as ‘bargaining chip’, security situation for resurgence PAKISTAN and Afghanistan are the only two countries in the world where the poliovirus is still endemic. A glimmer of hope to get out of this ignominious list emerged in 2021, when the country reported only one case
The Education Boards have announced a significant increase in admission fees for the upcoming annual Intermediate examinations for FA (Faculty of Arts) and FSC (Faculty of Science), scheduled to begin on April 22, 2025. This move, which affects both regular and private students, mandates the online submission of admission fees along with the admission form. The sudden and steep rise in fees has raised concerns and disappointment among students and parents alike. According to
ISLAMABAD: While climate shocks such as floods and droughts are increasingly threatening children’s access to food, the latest estimates show more than 1.4 million babies were born into hunger in Pakistan in 2024. Pakistan, one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries, saw the second highest number of babies born into hunger among countries with over 20 percent under-nourishment, according to the analysis of Save the Children, an international non-governmental organisation, released on December 30.
LAHORE. Shortage of food, poor health of mothers and a high population growth rate cause the death of 73 of every 1,000 newborn babies in Punjab before reaching the age of one year, a fact sheet released by an international non-governmental organisation (NGO) has revealed. According to experts of the Population Council, a large population of Punjab is not following family planning, without which the newborn mortality rate cannot be reduced. The organisation shared
ISLAMABAD: Minister for Housing and Works Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada on 30th December emphasised the need for legislation, awareness, mandatory premarital lab tests and modern research to combat thalassaemia in Pakistan. During his visit to the Thalassaemia Centre of Sundas Foundation in F-9 Park, he inaugurated an activity room established for thalassaemia children and the electric cart donated by Allied Bank to facilitate the transportation of children from the outer gate. Addressing the ceremony,
• Health dept data shows 132 children died from vaccine-preventable disease this year • Expert laments parents not utilising free vaccines against 12 major diseases KARACHI: Measles — a highly contagious but vaccine-preventable viral infection — is rearing its ugly head again after affecting thousands of children and killing at least 150 children this year in the province, it has emerged. However, the health department data confirmed the deaths of 132 children this year
ISLAMABAD: The country reported yet another case of wild poliovirus (WPV1) on 30th December, bringing the total number of cases this year to 68. The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health confirmed that the case was detected in Dera Ismail Khan. “This is the 10th polio case from D.I. Khan this year,” an official from the laboratory said. “So far, 27 cases have been reported from Balochistan, 20 from