ISLAMABAD: The total number of registered religious madrassas across the country is 17,738, with 2,249,520 students enrolled, stated the Ministry of Education as it submitted details of religious seminaries to the Senate. Meanwhile, the Tax Laws Amendment Bill, presented earlier in the National Assembly, was also introduced on 19th December and referred to the Senate Finance Committee for further deliberation. The Senate session, chaired by Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani, convened on Thursday morning during
Child Rights in Focus
DI KHAN: Condemning government statements claiming a plentiful supply of essential goods as “misleading”, educational institutions in the volatile tribal district of Kurram have decided to close from 20th December (today). They have also warned of launching a protest movement. “The government is trying to add to the people’s misery instead of protecting their lives and property. It seems intent on depriving people of food and medical care,” alleges Marjan Ali, the head of
Lahore: On 19 December, a Punjab cabinet meeting was presided over by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. The cabinet approved an amendment to Punjab Vagrancy Ordinance 1958, under which punishment for begging children has been increased from one to 10 years. She also directed to further expand the scope of rescue emergency services. Published in Dawn on 20th December 2024.
The eagerly-anticipated anti-polio campaign in Balochistan, now set to commence on December 30, has faced repeated delays due to a boycott by the Grand Health Alliance (GHA). Initially scheduled for December 16, the campaign was postponed twice, with an interim start date of December 18, before being rescheduled. Balochistan Emergency Operation Cell (EOC) Coordinator Inamul Haq underscored the campaign’s importance in combating the widespread presence of the poliovirus in the province, which has reported
LONDON: A UK court on Tuesday handed life sentences to the father and stepmother of a murdered 10-year-old British-Pakistani girl who died after being subjected to a prolonged “campaign of torture” and “despicable abuse”. Urfan Sharif, 43, and Beinash Batool, 30, will serve at least 40 and 33 years respectively for the killing of Sara Sharif, who had suffered years of horrific violence since the age of six. London’s Old Bailey court heard her
KARACHI: Pakistan’s first genetic molecular laboratory has been inaugurated with the cooperation of the Association of Pakistani Physicians of North America (APPNA), an organisation of Pakistani-origin doctors based in the United States. The newly established lab, located on the campus of Jinnah Sindh Medical University (JSMU), aims to diagnose physical and mental disabilities in premature babies and identify genetic defects in children and adults. Leading personalities, including APPNA President Dr Asif Mohiuddin, General Secretary
DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Police have arrested the suspects involved in the sexual assault of a minor boy at gunpoint in the Lakki district. Police said that under the leadership of SHO Zahid Khan of Ghazni Khel police station, the force raided the Jabu Khel area and arrested two notorious nominated suspects, Qismatullah and Neematullah, who had allegedly sexually assaulted a 13-14-year-old boy at gunpoint. The police recovered two Kalashnikovs, along with ammunition, from the
Japan has approved a grant worth $9.91 million aimed at improving maternal and child healthcare equipment in flood-affected areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the Ministry of Economic Affairs said on Tuesday. The grant agreement, signed in a ceremony attended by both Pakistani and Japanese officials, marks a significant step in strengthening healthcare services in the region. Dr Kazim Niaz, Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, signed the project on behalf of Pakistan, with
PESHAWAR: Drugs not only harm the user, but can often result in disaster for the families of the addict as was exemplified when a young man, addicted to ice, brutally murdered his father, brother, and niece with a dagger. In this heart-wrenching tragedy, the suspect’s sister-in-law and two young nieces were also severely injured and immediately rushed to the hospital. According to hospital sources, the condition of two of the injured individuals is critical,
QUETTA: The district administration of Chaghi has suspended five absent teachers, while the salaries of several others have been deducted and 32 out of 95 closed schools have also been reopened in Chaghi. A meeting of the District Education Group was held under the chairmanship of Chaghi Deputy Commissioner Ataul Munim where the educational situation of the district was reviewed. It was attended by District Education Officer Ashok Kumar, Assistant Commissioner Dalbandin Abdul Basit
KARACHI: Sindh Minister for Education Syed Sardar Ali Shah has advised private schools to relax uniform codes in view of the harsh winter to help protect children from the cold while ensuring the continuity of their education. Following the Minister’s directive, the Directorate of Inspections and Registration of Private Institutions Government of Sindh has issued a circular to private schools, instructing them to allow students to wear warm clothing during the winter. This includes
PESHAWAR: A child protection court has acquitted a man on the charge of sexually abusing his 13-year-old stepdaughter over a year ago here. The acquittal of the accused came before the conclusion of trial under Section 265-K of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which empowers the court to acquit an accused at any stage of the trial if there is no probability of his conviction on the basis of available evidence. Both the alleged