LAHORE: As many as 150 children received free bone marrow transplants and 2,000 others were treated for cancer at the Lahore Children’s Hospital. This was stated by Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz who said, “Free treatment is the right of every patient and child.” She said: “The success rate of bone marrow transplant operations is above 89%, very much in line with the world standards. More than Rs4.2 million have been spent on bone
Child Rights in Focus
KARACHI: A sessions court on 24th February sentenced four peddlers, including an underage boy, to 14 years in prison for possessing over 20kg of drugs. Additional District and Sessions Judge (West) Aurangzeb Shah found a car driver, Muhammad Saleem, and three passengers — Sikandar, Syed Wali and underage Muhammad Ahmed Khan — guilty of possessing over 20kg of charas. The drug was recovered by the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) during a checking of a car
This powerful documentary explores the critical issues facing children in Pakistan, from child labor and lack of education to gender inequality and health challenges. Despite constitutional guarantees, millions of children in Pakistan remain deprived of their basic rights. This documentary sheds light on the urgent need for collective action to ensure every child can live, learn, and thrive in a safe and nurturing environment.
AS most parents with young children will agree, the easiest way to pacify a bawling child is to hand them a smartphone, tablet, or other digital device. But though this might ensure temporary calm, the long-term effects of this practice — particularly the unsupervised use of digital devices — can have negative consequences. According to a recent survey by cybersecurity firm Kaspersky, 89pc of parents use digital gadgets to keep children occupied. Interestingly, 78pc
Police solve 11-year-old Sohaib Qamar’s murder, arresting his maternal uncle and aunt. OKARA: The murder of 11-year-old Sohaib Qamar in Shahzad Colony, Dipalpur, was resolved as police identified his maternal uncle and aunt as the culprits. Police arrested both accused, who later confessed to the crime. The breakthrough was announced by DPO Okara Muhammad Rashid Hidayat in a press conference. Police said four days ago, Sohaib Qamar, the son of Qamar Abbas, an employee
With rampant unemployment, youth seeking skills training have to pay hefty fee for private courses Even as the Punjab government paints a positive picture of itself in the eyes of the youth by distributing laptops, the failure of the leaders to recognize the growing demand for technical education amidst an increasingly volatile job market, has disillusioned a large segment of the unemployed youth, who have no alternative means of earning an income. In recent
GUJRANWALA: A five-year-old girl was killed after being raped at Kamoke. Eman Fatima was playing in a street when she went missing. Receiving information about it, Wahndo police reached the spot and arrested Hassan on suspicion. During preliminary investigation, Hassan told the police that he abducted the girl and raped her. Later, he killed her and buried her in his house. The police have recovered the body. Further investigation is under way. Published in
KARACHI: The Children’s Market, organised by TDF MagnifiScience Centre on 22nd February, offered many fun activities and entertainment, not to mention some really nice bargains, at stalls run by talented young entrepreneurs. There were many imitation jewellery stalls, food stalls, games stalls, art and handicraft stalls and so much more. Soon after entering one ran into Naveera Sadaf, Urwa Asif and Arbish Asif selling bracelets and homemade biscuits. The girls, two of whom were
With no diagnosis & non-existent support, Pakistanis with autism remain misunderstood LAHORE/PESHAWAR/ISLAMABAD: In Pakistan, autism is perhaps the most misunderstood neurological condition. While some people term it a “disease” others see it as an attack of “supernatural forces”. In both the cases, the autistic child or adult is conveniently ostracised by the society, which refuses to understand the fact that autism is not a medical condition requiring a “cure”. In fact, according to the
ISLAMABAD: The country has reported its third wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) case of 2025, with the latest victim being a 54-month-old girl from Ratodhero tehsil in Larkana district. The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH) confirmed the case on Saturday. This is the second polio case from Sindh this year, while the first was reported from Dera Ismail Khan (DI Khan), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The child, belonging
LAHORE: The Punjab government plans to increase the number of Special Sexual Offences Investigation Units (SSOIUs) across the province to investigate scheduled offences under the Anti-Rape (Investigation & Trial) Act of 2021 and offer better services to women in distress. In this regards, around 150 more SSOIUs would be added Punjab-wide to probe the scheduled offences. Since a large number of cases were being reported and registered with little investigation and relief for the
Pakistan’s prison system is at a breaking point, with over 102,000 inmates crammed into overcrowded, under-resourced facilities. Prison conditions in Pakistan fall significantly short of international standards, with inmates facing numerous systemic challenges, including severe overcrowding, unhygienic living conditions, insufficient access to clean water, nutritious food and healthcare, exploitative labour practices, limited contact with family and legal counsel, and a lack of effective complaint mechanisms. Furthermore, prisons fail to provide adequate rehabilitative, educational, vocational or