THATTA: In a landmark verdict, Thatta sessions court on 1st February sentenced two accused to death after finding them guilty of abducting, sexually assaulting and murdering a seven-year-old girl in Gharo in December 2019. The incident had sent shockwaves through the area’s residents as one of the convicts was the victim’s close relative. The accused Irshad Mallah, the victim’s own uncle, and Sikandar Shah kidnapped Dua Wasayo Mallah, took her to a jungle where
Child Rights in Focus
“In this country, we’re not even counted based on accurate data, let alone having the opportunity to list our issues,” lamented Sindh Education Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah during a youth conference on 01-February-2025. Titled ‘Challenges and Solutions for 21st Century Youth’, the conference was organised by the provincial sports & youth affairs department. Shah was speaking during a session on gaps in the education system. The panel also included journalists, intellectuals and Indus
BAHAWALPUR: Two minor boys were allegedly raped in separate incidents in the areas of Qutabpur in Lodhran and Mailsi in Vehari districts on 31st January. In the first case, a nine-year-old boy was allegedly raped by a man on Sui Gas Road, Qutabpur, Lodhran district. The victim’s father, Mudassar, in his complaint to police stated that his son was lured by the suspect to a place and was subjected to sexual assault. Qutabpur police
BEING one of the two countries — out of 194 member states of the World Health Organisation — that have not been able to eradicate polio is a persistent national embarrassment; 192 countries have managed to get rid of the virus, which cripples children for life. These include the poorest of the poor countries in Africa, nations in a chronic state of emergency such as Somalia, Yemen and Palestine, and all our immediate neighbours
RAWALPINDI: The Rawalpindi police said on 31st January it arrested as many as 87 beggars in the last 24 hours as part of their efforts to curb professional panhandling in the garrison city. A spokesperson for the police said professional alm seekers created inconvenience to citizens by obstructing traffic. He claimed that some of them were also involved in crimes including drug peddling and theft. The crackdown comes hot on the heels of the
On Friday, walks were held in Ganjmandi and RA Bazaar areas to raise awareness about the dangers of kite flying and aerial firing. Scores of citizens and police officials participated in the awareness walks. Police officers also gave awareness lectures in various educational institutions to prevent kite flying and aerial firing in the city as part of the drive, a spokesperson said. Officials also distributed pamphlets in mosques and door-to-door campaigns to prevent the
The Sindh High Court (SHC) has observed that the issues of gender-based violence and societal oppression demand continued attention and action from both the legal system and society as a whole. Issuing an order on a petition of a 14-year-old minor girl Shahzadi who had sought protection against her ex-spouse, a single bench of the SHC comprising Justice Sana Akram Minhas observed that though the protection plea had been granted, the counsel for the
ALPURI: Three children lost their lives in Sangarai area in the Shangla district after consuming “toxic” snacks while another child was under treatment at Saidu Sharif Hospital in Swat. It was learned that a group of children fell ill after having papad which they had bought from a local shop. They were rushed to the District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) Alpuri, where two of them died. The third child was referred to Saidu Sharif Hospital
Islamabad: The experts 30-January-2025 underscored the need for tweaking laws handling missing children cases and avoiding de-criminalisation of the victims. They called for action against the perpetrator of abuse and violence against the missing children. They were speaking at a policy seminar on issues pertaining to child abuse and missing children to overcome violence against juvenile and enhance the capacity of law enforcement agencies to play a proactive role in a safer and better
LAHORE: The Punjab government has decided to launch a four-year project for promoting the protection, rehabilitation, and economic empowerment of the survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) in the province, with the technical assistance of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The project aims to strengthen the provincial mechanisms for effective service delivery for GBV survivors through engaging different stakeholders. Since gender-based violence is a pressing issue in the country, significantly impacting the rights and
PESHAWAR: The health department has confirmed the second mpox case in a five-month-old child on arrival at Bacha Khan International Airport here on 30th January. Adviser to CM on health Ihtesham Ali has confirmed the detection of the second mpox case of 2025 at the airport. This brings the total number of reported mpox cases in the province to 11 since 2022. Providing details about the latest case, the adviser stated that the Public
ABBOTTABAD: A Newborn Care Unit started functioning at the Women and Children Hospital Abbottabad today, established with the support of UNICEF to provide quality care for critically ill newborns. The unit was inaugurated by Advisor to the KP Chief Minister on Health, Ihtesham Khan, in the presence of UNICEF Chief of Field Office, Radoslaw Rzehak, and UNICEF Health Team Lead for KP, Dr. Inamullah Khan. Speaking at the event, KP Health Advisor Ihtesham Khan