Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani issued a detailed verdict nullifying the trial court’s decision ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court has overturned a life sentence awarded in a child abduction and rape case, acquitting the convict on the basis of reasonable doubt. Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani issued a detailed verdict nullifying the trial court’s decision, which had sentenced the accused, Saleem Ghouri, to life imprisonment along with a fine of Rs50,000. According to the judgment, inconsistencies
Child Rights in Focus
DERA GHAZI KHAN: Two children were tortured by a landlord and his accomplices after they were caught stealing mangoes from his orchard. The children were taken to a farmhouse, where they were allegedly subjected to physical abuse and later stripped before being sent back home. A video of the naked children was shared on social media, prompting District Police Officer Syed Ali to take immediate action. The police registered a case and arrested one
Punjab government schools face a shortage of 100k teachers LAHORE: Around 65 percent permanent posts of government schoolteachers across Punjab are vacant. The posts include thousands in grade 17 to 20, among them a large number of headmasters and headmistresses as well as senior teachers. An official said the percentage of vacant permanent posts had risen to 65 mainly because of lack of timely promotion of the serving teachers. According to sources in the
Sardar Shah informed that offer letters were issued to 93,118 teachers KARACHI: The Sindh Education Department has completed Pakistan’s largest-ever recruitment process, hiring over 93,000 Primary School Teachers (PST) and Junior Elementary School Teachers (JEST). Sindh’s Education Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah congratulated the successful candidates, expressing hope that the teachers joining the department will perform their duties with dedication and honesty. In his statement, Sardar Shah informed that offer letters were issued to
Legislation aims to protect and formalise the marital customs of the community Peshawar. In a landmark step toward preserving cultural heritage, Pakistan’s first indigenous Kalash Marriage Bill has successfully passed vetting by the Law Department and will soon be presented to the cabinet before being tabled in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Legislative Assembly. This historic legislation aims to protect and formalize the unique marital customs of the Kalash community, ensuring their traditions are legally
QUETTA: A madrassa cleric in Kuchlak, a suburban area of Quetta, was arrested on 30 June 2025 for sexually assaulting a young boy aged between four and five years, police confirmed. According to law enforcement officials, they received a complaint that a cleric at a local religious seminary had assaulted a child student. The victim was immediately shifted to Mufti Mehmood Memorial Hospital in Kuchlak for medical examination. Dr Abdul Wakeel Sherani, Medical Superintendent
KARACHI: Four in every 10 families in Pakistan are now living in poverty, surviving on less than $3.65 a day, while nearly 1,000 children under five die daily as polio cases have surged alarmingly, according to the UNICEF Pakistan Annual Report 2024 released this week. The report paints a disturbing picture of rising deprivation and risk for the country’s youngest generation. Since the Covid-19 pandemic and the 2022 floods, Pakistan’s poverty rate has increased
SHANGLA: Police arrested a seminary teacher for allegedly molesting an 11-year-old boy studying at the madressah in Bisham city of Shangla district on 29th June evening. The victim told Bisham police that he had been learning the Holy Quran from Qari Abdur Rahim for the last three months. He said that after class on Sunday evening, the Qari called him into his room and locked the door behind him. “He took off my trousers
PESHAWAR: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan on 30th June released its annual report on the human rights situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, reporting a “significant” increase in violence against women and children, sectarian strife and tribal feuds. The report, which was released by provincial chief of the HRCP Akbar Khan during a news conference at the Peshawar Press Club, noted that the law and order situation in the province remained “weak” last year. It
Prevalence of Child Labour in Sindh by Age and Gender (%) Indicator Total Boys Girls Child labour prevalence (Total 5–17) 10.3 13.7 6.6 Age 5–9 4.3 4.9 3.7 Age 10–13 13.2 16.3 9.7 Age 14–17 18.5 27.2 8.4 Sindh Child Labour Survey 2022-2024
Prevalence of Child Labour in ICT by Age and Gender (%) Age Number Total (%) Boys Girls Total 15,180 2.4 12,218 3.60% 2,962 1.00% 5–11 1,669 0.5 1,111 0.60% 558 0.30% 12–13 3,202 2.8 2,241 3.50% 961 1.90% 14–17 10,308 5.6 8,866 9.10% 1,442 1.70% Source: ICT Child Labour Survey 2023-2024
Public Schools with Reported Cases of Corporal Punishment Region Number Percentage Boys Girls Total Boys Girls Total National 101 28 129 0.12 0.05 0.09 Punjab 1 2 3 0 0.01 0.01 Sindh 14 3 17 0.04 0.03 0.04 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 8 6 14 0.04 0.04 0.04 Balochistan 78 17 95 0.75 0.35 0.62 Islamabad Capital Territory 0 0 0 0 0 0 Source: NEMIS 2023-24 & PES 2023-2024