ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad police have admitted in a report submitted to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that they prioritise the security of VIPs over making efforts to curb the growing menace of drug use in educational institutions. Justice Raja Inaam Ameen Minhas was hearing a petition filed by Lakki Foundation Ltd, seeking judicial intervention against the rise in drug use among students in the federal capital. The judge expressed displeasure at the police’s stance
Child Rights in Focus
ISLAMABAD/UNITED NATIONS: Around 675 babies under one month of age and 27 mothers die every day in Pakistan from preventable complications—amounting to over 246,000 newborn and nearly 11,000 maternal deaths annually, alarming statistics by United Nations and World Health Organization (WHO) reveal. On the occasion of World Health Day 2025, WHO and UN agencies have called on the government and international partners to urgently invest in maternal and newborn health, warning that inaction threatens
No other province in Pakistan suffers this scale of examination mismanagement year after year. As the examination season begins, chaos and confusion once again take center stage – thanks to the staggering incompetence of Sindh’s examination boards. With the first paper set for April 7, thousands of students remain without correct admit cards. The boards, in their desperate attempt to appear modern, have introduced a half-baked “automation” system that has done little more than
Despite the passage of 12 years, the law to prevent the genetic blood disorder could not be implemented KARACHI: A stitch in time saves nine. The true meaning of this saying would be best understood by the hapless parents of children with thalassemia, who in their expediency to avoid one premarital test doomed their children to a life revolving around endless needles, blood bags and medicines. One such parent was Aslam Mujahid, who was
The police registered a case and formed teams to apprehend the killers. MUZAFFARGARH: A six-year-old child beggar who had gone missing a day earlier was found dead in a field in the Jatoi area of Muzzafargarh district. According to police sources, the child belonging to an impoverished family had gone to a shop near his home to buy food items but did not return home. A search was launched by the family and police,
In recognition of the enduring collaboration between the government and SOS Children’s Villages, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has announced the provision of land in Karachi, Khairpur and Jamshoro along with a financial commitment of Rs437 million for the development of educational infrastructure. Officials said that during a special ceremony held at the CM House on Saturday to celebrate four decades of service provided by the SOS Children’s Villages in Sindh, Shah
To make the process more effective, the Sindh Textbook Board has formed several monitoring committees. Karachi/Jamshoro: The Sindh Textbook Board has started the distribution of textbooks for the academic year 2025-26 on the directions of Sindh’s Minister for Education Syed Sardar Ali Shah. He said that the distribution of textbooks has been initiated alongside the beginning of the academic year. Over five million sets of textbooks will be prepared according to enrollment ratios, which
HYDERABAD: A pregnant woman and her two minor sons had died in a fire at their home in Goth Wali Muhammad Mangrio, District Mirpurkhas, on 03-April-2025. The case took a new turn on 03-April-2025, when the woman’s husband admitted to burning them to death. The woman’s brother Gordhan Bheel filed a complaint at the Sindhri police station claiming that his sister was often tortured by her husband, and that the man had also beaten
A woman and her 16-month-old daughter were allegedly gunned down by her relative for ‘honour’ in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Mansehra city on Friday afternoon, according to a first information report (FIR). According to the FIR, lodged by the victim’s mother-in-law Nasreen Bibi with Mansehra’s Saddar police station on Friday, Nasreen and the victims were at home when armed suspects allegedly entered their house and held her at gunpoint. “I heard screaming from my daughter-in-law’s room,
As new academic year begins parents struggle with skyrocketing fees, uniform costs RAWALPINDI: The new academic year in Punjab is set to begin on April 7, while the results for annual exams from nursery to eighth grade will be announced today, April 4. Significant changes have been made in the curriculum, with textbooks for classes six to ten being replaced. For ninth-grade admissions, students will now have six group options including computer science, medical
ISLAMABAD: The local production of Weekly Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation (WIFAS) in adolescent doses could prevent around 15 million adolescent girls in Pakistan from suffering from iron deficiency anemia as ensuring sustainable access to these supplements could significantly reduce costs and lessen reliance on expensive imports, according to officials and nutrition experts. Iron deficiency anaemia is the leading cause of lost disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) among adolescent girls (10-19 years) worldwide. The World
LAHORE: Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif has announced significant initiatives for children with autism, including establishment of autism centres in 27 divisional public schools across the province. These centres aim to provide specialised education, training and rehabilitation for children with autism. Extending Eid greetings to children with autism on the eve of World Autism Awareness Day, the CM reaffirmed her commitment to their well-being. She stated that children with autism are not patients