Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is rapidly reshaping the landscape of education and research, demanding a thoughtful and urgent response from educators and policymakers. As a faculty member and a member of the Advanced Studies and Research Board at a public sector university, I have witnessed both the excitement and the uncertainty that AI tools like ChatGPT have generated within academic circles. While the potential of GenAI to enhance learning and scholarly productivity is undeniable,
Child Rights in Focus
The Pakistan Eye Bank Society (PEBS), in collaboration with the Rotary Club of Heidelberg Schloss, launched a ‘School Eye Clinic’ project on 27-May-2025 to screen as many as 60,000 schoolchildren. German Consul General in Karachi Dr Rudiger Lotz inaugurated the project at the PEBS Hospital in North Karachi. Sri Lankan Consul General in Karachi Jagath Abeywarna also attended the inaugural ceremony. In his welcome address, Qazi Sajid Ali, president of the PEBS, recalled: “We
ISLAMABAD: The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) on Tuesday rejected the Child Marriage Restraint Bill, 2025 which fixes minimum age for marriage at 18, terming the legislation passed by the National Assembly and Senate against Islam. “The CII at its meeting termed the Child Marriage Restraint Bill which was moved by Sharmila Faruqui MNA in the National Assembly as un-Islamic,” an official statement issued by the CII media wing after the meeting said. The
Rawalpindi. Rawalpindi DC Hassan Waqar Cheema on Tuesday imposed a ban on private schools, academies and colleges across the district from collection of children’s fees for two or three months in a lump sum amount. A warning notice has been issued stating that any institution violating this ban will face strict legal action. All schools are required to collect fees on a monthly basis as usual. The DC has clarified that those parents who
The police registered an FIR of murder against the father on the complaint of the mother RAWALPINDI: A man killed his one-and-a-half-year-old innocent daughter by beating her in the area of Chaklala police station. The police registered an FIR of murder against the father on the complaint of the mother of the deceased girl, Inayat Fatima. The accused managed to escape from the hospital. The mother of the one-and-a-half-year-old deceased girl, Inayat Fatima, Asiya
KARACHI: Two sisters were subjected to a sexual assault in their home in North Karachi, police and doctors said on 27th May. Police Surgeon Summaiya Syed told Dawn that both the girls, aged 15 and 8, were brought to the Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK) by their maternal and paternal uncles at 5:30pm. She said that the girls were examined at the health facility and “findings are strongly suggestive of sexual violence”. Evidentiary samples
GUJRAT: A woman turned out to be the killer of her two minor children in the Rangpur locality of the city as A-Division police on 27th May claimed to have resolved the mystery of the double murder case. The suspect confessed to strangling her five-year-old son and three-year-old daughter to contract a second marriage with a man. A spokesman for Gujrat police said Shafay and Naimat, the children of one Usman Ahmed, were found
KARACHI: A public-private child health initiative launched in the city’s urban slums over two years ago has seen significant improvements in the nutrition and immunisation status of children, presenting a roadmap for scaling up the model in other parts of the province, officials associated with the project shared on 27th May. Funded by the Gates Foundation, the project is made possible through a collaboration between the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), the provincial health
The death of a ten-year-old girl in a crossfire between robbers and a citizen on 27-May-2025 sparked widespread outrage and protests in Korangi. The victim, Arfa, daughter of Waqar, was shot during a crossfire that erupted when two armed assailants attempted to snatch a motorcycle from a local resident near Kalu Chowk. The citizen resisted the robbery and opened fire, prompting the robbers to retaliate. Amid the exchange of bullets, Arfa was struck and
PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on 26th May launched two flagship welfare initiatives – Roshan Mustaqbil Card and Sahara Card – aimed at supporting orphans and widows. A statement issued here said that the initiatives were launched at a ceremony held at the Chief Minister’s House with Mr Gandapur as the chief guest. The event was also attended by minister for social welfare Syed Qasim Ali Shah, members of the provincial
CHINIOT: The District Education Authority (DEA) has issued show-cause notices to 310 teachers of government schools for being absent from duty or being late during the month of April. Apart from the regular visits of monitoring staff, the Punjab School Education Department (SED) has devised a new monitoring mechanism in which Monitoring and Evaluation Assistants (MEAs), usually retired army officers, perform surprise visits in each district. A report compiled by the District Monitoring Office
ISLAMABAD: Convener of Parliamentary Caucus on Child Rights (PCCR) Dr Nikhat Shakeel Khan on 26th May highlighted the urgent need for a unified national response to Pakistan’s education emergency. She emphasised the pivotal role of parliamentarians in addressing this challenge and introduced the PCCR’s flagship report, ‘Parliamentary Engagement for National Strategy on Education Emergency’ during the closing ceremony of the caucus’ initiative, ‘Addressing Pakistan’s Education Crisis: Enhancing Parliamentary Engagement on Out-of-School Children’, held at