PESHAWAR: Textbooks shortage has hit government schools in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, leaving students and teachers to struggle with course management. Students and teachers of the government high schools told Dawn that the new academic year began in the first week of April but they were still short of course books. During the last two decades, students received books from the provincial government free of charge at the start of scholastic year in April. Two years
Child Rights in Focus
Examines rights situation in terms of development, survival, protection, and participation ISLAMABAD: A report on child rights unveiled by the National Commission on the Rights of the Child (NCRC) seeks to draw attention to emerging issues such as climate-related vulnerabilities, child online protection and the situation of marginalised groups, said an NCRC official on May 11. The State of Children in Pakistan 2024 report, prepared in compliance with Sections 15 and 17 of the
TAXILA: The construction work worth Rs49.40 million on Government Girls School in the middle of the city has not been completed despite the passage of five years. The construction work on the school comprising 12 classrooms on 14 kanals was started in November 2021, during the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government. The plan to build the high school and its phase-wise upgradation to higher secondary level was initiated on the encroached land. The existing two government
LARKANA: Police on 10th May recovered a 16-year-old girl who was allegedly abducted from a locality in Khairpur city some three months ago. Her suspected kidnapper, Abdul Hafeez Mangrio, was arrested, the police claimed. Soon after her recovery, the Sachal police produced the girl before the fourth civil judge and judicial magistrate of Larkana for recording her statement under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code. She was allowed to go with her guardians
RAWALPINDI: An Additional District and Sessions Judge in Taxila on Saturday sentenced three convicts to a total of life imprisonment, 21 years of additional imprisonment, and fines amounting to Rs4.5 million in a case involving the sexual assault of a 12-year-old boy, blackmail through an obscene nude video, and its circulation on social media. The court sentenced convict Haseeb Khan to life imprisonment and a fine of Rs500,000 for rape, along with an additional
LAHORE: Shahdara Police arrested a rickshaw driver accused of sexually assaulting a mentally challenged girl. The suspect has been identified as Parvez, who lured and repeatedly assaulted the innocent girl. Upon receiving the tip, Shahdara Police acted promptly and arrested the accused. A case has been registered. Theft bid foiled: Police Response Unit (PRU) of Nawab Town foiled a major theft involving valuables worth lakhs of rupees. Four suspects – Dilawar, Rehan, Arsalan, and
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Food Authority (IFA) and Impact Research International organised a consultative session where experts highlighted the dangers of unsafe food, warning that contaminated food continues to harm public health, especially among children. Experts from various sectors, including stakeholders from agriculture, health, research, and small businesses urged immediate action to prevent food-borne illnesses and promote safe food handling across the country. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Tahira Siddique, Deputy Director IFA, said that
LARKANA: The Model Criminal Trial Court Qambar-Shahdadkot on 9th May handed down life imprisonment sentence to an accused after he proved guilty of subjecting a minor boy to rape. The judge Tariq Bhatti, who also heads special court for gender-based violence, also imposed on the convict Rs100,000 fine and awarded him 10 years more rigorous imprisonment in a separate case for possession of an unlicensed weapon. In case of default on the payment of
KARACHI: The Sindh government, in collaboration with Unicef, has decided to develop a five-year multi-sectoral roadmap aimed at addressing the education needs of out-of-school children and adolescents. Under this initiative, a strategy will be formulated to identify and eliminate barriers hindering access to education. A key meeting regarding the development of this roadmap was held in Karachi which was chaired by Sindh Education Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah, and attended by Unicef representatives. “The
LAHORE: In a landmark judgment, the Drug Court Lahore has directed authorities to take urgent steps to regulate the manufacturing, sale, and quality of baby milk, baby food, infant formula, and related products. The court highlighted serious gaps in the oversight of these products, which are widely consumed by infants and young children across Pakistan. The case was initiated on a petition expressing concerns over substandard and unregistered baby food products allegedly causing serious
ISLAMABAD: United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) on 8th May pledged support and protection for Pakistan’s children against the climate crisis and its impacts on their economic and social lives. The pledge came when Unicef Representative in Pakistan, Abdullah Fadil, called on the Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, Senator Musadik Masood Malik, here Thursday. Both sides discussed various aspects of children’s climate vulnerability and possible evidence-based policy measures to tackle the negative
ISLAMABAD: Parliamentary Caucus on Child Rights (PCCR) on 8th May explored strategic collaboration with Save the Children to strengthen institutional ties for the welfare and protection of children across the country. A statement issued here said that during the meeting, Save the Children briefed PCCR members on its wide-ranging initiatives in Pakistan. The organisation was actively working in collaboration with child protection units and is delivering impactful services in the areas of health, education,