ISLAMABAD: After Sindh and Punjab, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir have achieved the elimination of maternal and neonatal tetanus (MNT), taking Pakistan closer to interrupting the transmission of this life-threatening disease for mothers and newborns nationwide. The validations were confirmed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) following a weeklong final review led by WHO and Unicef at the request of the federal government. Around 80 per cent of Pakistan’s population
Child Rights in Focus
Islamabad: The World Health Organisation has sounded the alarm on Pakistan’s health crisis, emphasising that a $95 million funding shortfall threatens critical healthcare programmes. The UN agency, dedicated to safeguarding global public health, warned that without urgent action to address the funding crisis, millions of lives in Pakistan would be at risk, as the country’s fragile health infrastructure struggled to meet growing demands. In a report, the WHO said that with a budget of
ISLAMABAD: The federal government and the government of Punjab and Balochistan on 19 March 2025 filed their response in the Supreme Court on the constitutional petition seeking legislation to make the teaching of the Holy Quran compulsory in educational institutions. A five-member constitutional bench, headed by Justice Aminuddin Khan and comprising Justices Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan, Justice Muhammad Hashim Khan Kakar, and Justice Aamer Farooq, heard the case. The governments of
LAHORE: Under Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s first-ever Aghosh program, pregnant women and mothers of children under 2 will get Rs23,000 each. “Health of a mother and her child requires special attention, a healthy mother guarantees a healthy family,” said Maryam while introducing the Aghosh program to provide medical facilities and financial support to the women. She said: “Under the Aghosh program, not only mothers but their children too will start a healthy life.
ISLAMABAD: The Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court on 18th March summoned representatives of the National Commission on the Rights of Child (NCRC) in a case moved to seek a declaration that police should treat the issue of missing children as a cognisable offence. Headed by Justice Aminuddin Khan, the five-judge bench had taken up a petition moved by the Karachi-based Roshni Research and Development Welfare Organisation in 2018. The petitioner sought a direction
PESHAWAR: Civil society activists and education advocates have urged the provincial government to prioritise better funding for girls’ secondary education in the upcoming budget. In a news release, the activists demanded better funding to address the issue of out-of-school girls as well as effective implementation of Article 25(A) of the Constitution, which mandates free and compulsory education for all children aged between five and 16 years. They said according to a survey of the
LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has introduced a series of groundbreaking initiatives aimed at improving the lives of special children across the province. These initiatives encompass healthcare, education, employment, and safety measures to ensure the well-being and empowerment of children with disabilities. As part of these efforts, 40,000 special children have undergone health screenings, leading to the diagnosis of various diseases. The government will provide free medical treatment to affected students. To
LAHORE: The participants in a session on strengthening media engagement for improving child rights were of the view that the media can play a pivotal role in ensuring the effective implementation of children’s rights by fostering accountability and public awareness. They said that media professionals can shed light on compliance with international commitments, the allocation of resources for child protection, and the performance of child-focused institutions through investigative journalism. These critical issues were discussed
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) has ruled that biological fathers are financially responsible for children born out of wedlock or as a result of rape, provided their paternity is established. Justice Ahmad Nadeem Arshad issued a 15-page detailed verdict on a petition, filed by Muhammad Afzal, directing the trial court to reassess the maintenance case of a five-year-old girl in the light of new evidence. The court observed that if the mother proves
CHAK JHUMRA: A seven-year-old boy was allegedly subjected to sexual assault. According to the complaint filed by the mother of the victim, her son from her late husband was assaulted when her husband was away at work while she had stepped out for some errands. She said Ali Raza, a resident of Chak 42GB, allegedly lured the boy to the veranda of a nearby government school and subjected him to sexual assault. When her
TOBA TEK SINGH: A drug addict allegedly strangled his five-year-old daughter in Jaranwala tehsil, Chak 240 GB, after his wife refused to give him money to buy narcotics. The wife of suspect Zakir Hussain told police that the suspect, in a fit of anger, grabbed his daughter Aliya Bibi and strangled her. Jaranwala City police have arrested the suspect. Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2025
PESHAWAR. District administration of Peshawar has imposed Section 144, banning sale and purchase of toy guns and fire crackers . The administration has warned that the strict action would be taken against those violating the ban. The decision has been taken due to the law and order situation in the province and the police has been to enforce the ban. News published in the Express Tribune on 17th March 2025