MIRANSHAH: A significant rise in Leishmania cases has been reported in the Azam Warsak and Shahin Panga areas of Barmal Tehsil in Lower South Waziristan, sparking alarm among local residents and health authorities, officials said on April 25. According to locals, the disease is spreading rapidly in rural areas, with a large number of children among those affected. The situation has caused widespread fear and panic among parents, who fear the disease could spread
Child Rights in Focus
LOWER DIR: Suspected remains of a six-year-old girl, who went missing some six months ago from Nagri Payeen village of Talash, were recovered from a mountainous area in Talash on April 27, the police and residents said. Police said the child, identified as Masroora, had gone missing on Oct 12. The Talash police had also registered an FIR regarding her disappearance, but despite repeated efforts by police, local elders, volunteers and social workers, no
LAHORE: The Punjab government has scaled up its flagship Green School Certification Programme, an initiative aimed at embedding environmental responsibility among students and building a climate-resilient future. The programme has witnessed widespread participation from both public and private educational institutions. Officials said 26,330 schools across 41 districts have formally pledged to adopt environmentally sustainable practices, with over 7.6 million students and teachers registered so far under the initiative. The initiative is being led by
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan–China International Conference on Food-Medicine Homology, Nutrition and Health brought together leading scientists, policymakers, regulators and industry experts from Pakistan and China to strengthen bilateral cooperation in health sciences, nutrition and traditional medicine. Speaking as the chief guest at the event that opened on Monday at the Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST),Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal termed the conference a timely initiative on an important subject. He
• Heated debate ensues after lawmakers not provided copies of Child Marriage Restraint bill • Azma protests suggestion under-18s be allowed to marry ‘with court permission’ • Minister opposes amendment seeking to void marriages consummated after abduction or forced conversion LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly on Monday passed the Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Bill 2026 with a majority vote, without incorporating an amendment seeking the annulment by a court of a child marriage consummated after
According to estimates, approximately 26.2 million children are out of school, including 13.4 million girls. Between 20% and 28% of school-age children are not enrolled at all, many forced to prioritise survival over education. Why do some children enjoy their right to education while others are denied it? Why are quality schools reserved for those who can afford them, while millions are left with inadequate alternatives? Why do we continue to tolerate a system
LAHORE: A bill has been introduced in the Punjab Assembly to amend the 153-year-old Christian Marriage Act, but it has drawn criticism from Christian religious leaders and legal experts, who argue that raising the marriage age alone is not enough and that wider reformscovering divorce, annulment, inheritance, child custody, and separationare also needed, along with proper consultation with the Church during the drafting process. The amendment bill was presented in the Punjab Assembly by
KARACHI: Additional District and Sessions Judge (Shahdadpur) Shahid Ali Memon has sentenced a man to death on charges of killing his own daughter in the name of so-called honour. The court found Ali Bux guilty and sentenced him to the death penalty, along with an additional 14-year imprisonment for possessing an illegal pistol used to kill his daughter, Uzma, in the name of “honour” at his house in 2022. It imposed a fine of
TOBA TEK SINGH: A minor boy died in a stray dog attack at Chak 331-GB, Noorpur, tehsil Pirmahal, on April 26. Farhan, the father of the deceased identified as Mudassar (5), was harvesting wheat in the fields near his house. His son, Mudassar, was asleep at a charpoy under a tree at some distance when a stray dog attacked him and injured him critically. He was shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital Toba where
PESHAWAR: A technical glitch has surfaced in switching over of the students of private and government schools to each other due to disparity in their academic calendar, according to sources. “There was no such issue prior to the implementation of semester system in government schools,” the principal of a government high school told Dawn. Last year, elementary and secondary education department replaced the British-era annual examination system in government schools up to grade 8 with
In March, the march of tiny-weeny feet taps the corridors of the schools. The seedling signs of the start of a new academic year. The happy hum of new admissions spreads colours and smiles all around. However, the first day of a child at the school disillusions some parents when they accompany her to the school. The disillusionment starts when they themselves carry the bag of their child to her class situated on the
RAWALPINDI: Police have registered a case following the alleged sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl within the jurisdiction of Chaklala Police Station after suspects reportedly forced entry into her home, recorded the act, and subsequently attempted to abduct her while threatening to circulate the footage. According to police, three nominated suspects, stated to be neighbours of the victim, along with three unidentified accomplices are being sought. As per the complaint lodged by the girl’s