Artificial intelligence is quietly shaping a generation’s thinking. Children are increasingly using AI tools to answer questions, complete assignments and tackle problems that once required reflection and research. What appears to be efficiency may also be altering the way thinking itself develops. This shift is unfolding within a generation shaped by a uniquely digital start. Many of today’s students experienced important school years during Covid-19 lockdowns. For them, digital environments are not an adjustment
Child Rights in Focus
ISLAMABAD: UNAIDS officials in Pakistan say they are assisting the country’s pharmaceutical industry to explore the local production of lenacapavir, a long acting HIV prevention medicine described by the World Health Organisation chief as a “prevention breakthrough” because it can prevent almost all infections among people at risk when taken once every six months. “UNAIDS is supporting discussions with Pakistani pharmaceutical manufacturers and other stakeholders to explore pathways for local production and wider access
SOUTH WAZIRISTAN: The police have arrested an accused in connection with the assault and murder of a 13-year-old boy in Tanai area of Wana tehsil, Lower South Waziristan, officials confirmed on Sunday. The tragic incident had occurred on March 4 when the deceased, Imran, reportedly went to graze his herd of goats and sheep in the nearby Khowar-i-Khulla Mountain. He did not return home, causing concern among his family and residents, who later launched
GUJRAT: A 16 years old girl was reportedly raped by a man in a private hospital of Mandi Bahauddin Civil Lines Police precincts. The mother of the girl lodged a complaint with the police three days ago that her daughter had gone to a private hospital along with her aunt (sister of complainant) to have some medicine. When the girl went to a hospital washroom and did not return for quite some time, her
ISLAMABAD: Thousands of students across Pakistan are seeking admission to the newly established Islamabad Daanish School, which has received over 7,000 applications against just 210 seats. The state-of-the-art school is all set to start classes from next month. Initially, admissions are being offered only in classes six, seven and eight. Each class will have two sections with a capacity of 35 students each. In response to the admission call, 7,387 students from across Pakistan
PESHAWAR: Human Rights Council of Pakistan, a non-government organisation, on Mar 7 launched the 2025 human rights report, highlighting that a total of 258 rape cases were reported in the province, but only one conviction was recorded, reflecting a conviction rate of around 0.39pc. The report was launched at the Peshawar Press Club on the eve of International Women’s Day, which is observed on March 8. Speaking on the occasion, the council’s provincial president
MUZAFFARABAD: Rejecting reports that school textbooks had been changed in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), the region’sTextbook Board on Mar 6 clarified that while it had maintained the prices of textbooks for the primary classes, the prices of textbooks for middle classes had been considerably reduced compared to last year. In a press release, the board reiterated that it served as the regulatory body responsible for textbooks and supplementary learning material for classes one
ANOTHER child has fallen victim to polio, this time in Sindh. The National Institute of Health this week confirmed that a four-year-old from Bello in Sujawal, Sindh, is infected with the wild poliovirus, making this the first case in 2026. The development brings back into the limelight Pakistan’s long fight against the incurable and debilitating disease, which can cause lifelong paralysis and even death. Last year marked a welcome reversal from the worrying surge
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court has issued notices to the Capital Development Authority and other civic agencies on a petition seeking immediate covering of open and broken manholes across the federal capital. IHC Chief Justice Sardar Mohammad Sarfraz Dogar, heading a single bench, directed the respondents to submit a report and para-wise comments within a fortnight. The direction was issued on a petition filed by Mughal Din, a resident of G-10 Markaz, against the
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s first large scale campaign to vaccinate adolescent girls against human papillomavirus (HPV) reached only slightly more than half of the target population, with an independent post campaign survey estimating coverage at 53.4 per cent and identifying weak awareness, parental refusals and reporting gaps as key factors limiting the campaign’s reach. The HPV vaccination campaign was conducted from September 15 to 27, 2025, targeting girls aged 9 to 14 years in Punjab, Sindh,
BUCHIANA: An eight-year-old girl was tortured by her stepfather in Buchiana on March 5, who allegedly beat her with iron rods, tied her hands and feet and locked her inside the house before fleeing the scene. Police rescued the child after breaking the lock and arrested the suspect within a few hours of the incident. According to police, the incident occurred in locality 656-GB near Buchiana. The victim, identified as Iman Fatima, was allegedly
KARACHI: Two teenage girls were found dead in separate incidents in Keamari and Orangi Town. In the first incident, a 13-year-old girl was found dead at her home in Kachhi Para, Keamari. Police shifted the body to Civil Hospital with the help of Edhi volunteers. The deceased was identified as Armeesh, daughter of Sajid. Jackson SHO said the girl’s mother, a widow working as a domestic help, had locked the house from outside before