RAWALPINDI: A minor housemaid was shifted to the hospital in critical condition after she was allegedly tortured and ill-treated by her employers, husband and wife. Police have taken the couple and the woman, who brought the girl to the hospital, into custody and started an investigation. A team from the Child Protection Bureau Rawalpindi also reached the hospital. The incident came to light after the victim was shifted to hospital from the Asghar Mall
Child Rights in Focus
ISLAMABAD: The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health on 11th February confirmed the detection of 74th wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) case of the year 2024 in the country. On Tuesday, the lab confirmed one polio case in Shikarpur district of Sindh. This is the second polio case from Shikarpur for 2024, an official of the lab said. Only last month, an official at the laboratory at the
KARACHI. Students studying at private schools often carry a sense of superiority thanks to the abysmal condition of the country’s public education sector. However, when the absence of a school bus service encourages thousands of such students to arrive and depart in their separate vehicles like busy statesmen, the city’s commuters will have no choice but to be prepared for incessant gridlocks. According to details gathered by The Express Tribune, there are 57 points
ISLAMABAD: Parents of over 700 children initially refused to vaccinate their kids against polio in the latest anti-polio campaign which lasted from Feb 3 to Feb 9 in the federal capital. However, the capital administration managed to convince the parents after the intervention of Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon. An official of the health ministry said those who refused inoculation also included educated parents, with some saying that their children should not be treated as “guinea
A two-and-a-half-year-old girl, Haya Fatima, was killed by a stray bullet while playing on the roof of a residential building in Lyari’s Moosa Lane area. According to the Baghdadi police, the incident took place at Ali Arcade, a seven-storey building. The victim, who lived on the seventh floor, was playing with other children on the roof when she was hit by a stray bullet. Her uncle, Farhan Memon, rushed her to a nearby hospital,
ISLAMABAD: Due to high-quality polio vaccination drives conducted across the country in the past few months, the tide is turning in Pakistan’s battle against polio as environmental samples from 34 cities have tested negative for the Wild Poliovirus 1 (WPV1), indicating that the virus is no longer circulating in these areas. This significant milestone includes negative samples from the federal capital Islamabad, along with several cities across the provinces. In Punjab, the cities free
PESHAWAR: Peshawar High Court has acquitted four persons and set aside the sentence of life imprisonment awarded to them by a child protection court for allegedly abducting a teenage girl and forcing her to marriage with one of them in Swat district. A bench consisting of Justice Mohammad Naeem Anwar and Justice Wiqar Ahmad accepted two appeals filed by the convicts including three brothers named Sher Ali Khan, Raza Khan and Samiullah and their
RAHIM YAR KHAN: Police arrested a suspect involved in the case of and murder of a minor girl on 9th February. According to the first information report (FIR) registered with Iqbalabad Police Station, the complainant, a resident of Bahudipur Machian, told police that his 12-year-old sister resided with him. On Saturday night when the whole family was asleep, he suddenly woke up and found his sister absent from her bed. He along with two
Islamabad: After installing IT labs in 50 government schools across the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training has planned to extend the initiative to 30 more educational institutions in the region within two months. An official highlighted the significant strides the ministry is making in equipping students with essential technology skills and said the installation of IT labs had provided students with access to modern digital tools and
KARACHI: In grade 4, Zunaira Qayyum Baloch, had startled senior professor Dr Hamid Ali Baloch, and assistant professor Zahir Mengal of University of Balochistan. They were speakers at an interactive reading club session, The Importance of Reading, in the School of Intensive Teaching (SIT) in Hub Chowki. “Is there anyone here who reads?” Mengal asked the students. Several students, including Zunaira who joined SIT in grade three, raised their hands. “I have read George
In this insightful talk, Dr. Zafar Mirza, a leading expert in public health, explores the strategies and challenges of addressing public health crises in Pakistan. Drawing from his experience as a former Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health, Dr. Mirza discusses the country’s key healthcare issues, including disease outbreaks, healthcare access, and policy reforms. He provides a roadmap for tackling future health crises through effective government response, public awareness, and healthcare infrastructure
Actions include dismissal, early retirement, and fine for misconduct RAWALPINDI: The Punjab’s Education Department has said it penalised 881 officers and staff members from grades 1 to 16 following disciplinary inquiries under the Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline, and Accountability (PEDA) Act over the past year. The inquiries, conducted from March 2024 to January 31, 2025, resulted in various actions against teaching and non-teaching staff. According to official data, 263 employees were found guilty and