Health Budget 2025-26 (Estimated) Government Total Health Budget (PKR in Billion) Current (%) Development(%) Federal 47 68 32 Balochistan 87 81 19 KP 277 90 10 Punjab 631 71 29 Sindh 372 88 12 Source: Federal and Provincial Budget Documents
Child Rights in Focus
Education Budget 2025–26 (Estimated Amount in PKR Billion) Government Total Education Budget Current Budget (%) Development Budget (%) Federal 169 67 33 Balochistan 126 83.61 16.39 KP 363 87.14 12.86 Punjab 812 87.7 12.3 Sindh 613 85.49 14.51 Source: Federal and Provincial Budget Documents, 2025–26
Pupil–Teacher Ratio (PTR) in Public Schools Province / Area 2022–23 2023–24 Pakistan 32 32 ICT 33 30 Balochistan 21 20 KP 30 31 Punjab 36 36 Sindh 32 31 Source: PES 2022–23 & PES 2023–24
Enrolment of Children with Disabilities in Special Education Schools by Region Province / Region Total Institutions Male Students Female Students Total Students ICT 5 1,272 619 1,891 Balochistan 18 — — 1,372 KP 3 — — 431 Punjab 299 15,300 25,392 40,692 Sindh 29 3,713 1,764 5,477 Source: Ministry of Federal Education & Professional Training, Social Welfare and Human Rights Department Balochistan, Special Education Department Punjab and Department of Empowerment of Persons with
Population of Children with Disabilities Aged 5–16 Years by Province Province Population Balochistan 125,520 KP 678,128 Punjab 2,266,774 Sindh 750,201 Public Financing in Education 2025–26 (PIE)
Child marriage in Pakistan has never been sustained by law alone. Instead, it has survived because the law itself has remained fractured. The passage of the Child Marriage Restraint Bill 2026 by the Punjab Assembly is therefore significant for what it exposes across the federation, which is a deeply uneven legal regime. Punjab’s decision to raise the minimum age to 18 for both boys and girls and criminalise violations with stronger penalties brings it
KARACHI: Annual intermediate examinations under the Board of Intermediate Education Karachi began on Wednesday, with anti-cheating measures, including advanced security features introduced by the board, proving effective. An attempt to leak an exam paper from a centre in the Gadap area was foiled. According to Inter Board Chairman Ghulam Muhammad Lakho, more than 160,000 students are appearing in the exams in morning and evening shifts. A total of 175 examination centres have been set
MIRANSHAH: A significant rise in Leishmania cases has been reported in the Azam Warsak and Shahin Panga areas of Barmal Tehsil in Lower South Waziristan, sparking alarm among local residents and health authorities, officials said on April 25. According to locals, the disease is spreading rapidly in rural areas, with a large number of children among those affected. The situation has caused widespread fear and panic among parents, who fear the disease could spread
LOWER DIR: Suspected remains of a six-year-old girl, who went missing some six months ago from Nagri Payeen village of Talash, were recovered from a mountainous area in Talash on April 27, the police and residents said. Police said the child, identified as Masroora, had gone missing on Oct 12. The Talash police had also registered an FIR regarding her disappearance, but despite repeated efforts by police, local elders, volunteers and social workers, no
LAHORE: The Punjab government has scaled up its flagship Green School Certification Programme, an initiative aimed at embedding environmental responsibility among students and building a climate-resilient future. The programme has witnessed widespread participation from both public and private educational institutions. Officials said 26,330 schools across 41 districts have formally pledged to adopt environmentally sustainable practices, with over 7.6 million students and teachers registered so far under the initiative. The initiative is being led by
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan–China International Conference on Food-Medicine Homology, Nutrition and Health brought together leading scientists, policymakers, regulators and industry experts from Pakistan and China to strengthen bilateral cooperation in health sciences, nutrition and traditional medicine. Speaking as the chief guest at the event that opened on Monday at the Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST),Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal termed the conference a timely initiative on an important subject. He
• Heated debate ensues after lawmakers not provided copies of Child Marriage Restraint bill • Azma protests suggestion under-18s be allowed to marry ‘with court permission’ • Minister opposes amendment seeking to void marriages consummated after abduction or forced conversion LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly on Monday passed the Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Bill 2026 with a majority vote, without incorporating an amendment seeking the annulment by a court of a child marriage consummated after