LAHORE: Anticipating the abrupt shift of the global economy towards complete digitalization, several developing countries in the Global South started heavily investing in the Information Technology (IT) sector several years ago, in the hopes of directing billions of dollars towards their economies in the future. From cities across the region, often referred to as the Silicon Valleys of their respective countries, a large number of IT professionals were encouraged towards contributing to the development
Child Rights in Focus
KOHAT: Kohat division commissioner Syed Motasim Billah Shah has urged the people not to link polio vaccination of their children with common demands like electricity and gas supply and construction of roads because such an attitude compromised the health of their children and their future. Emphasising the importance of polio drops for children, he said the society as a whole must protect children from lifelong disability. He made the appeal while addressing an awareness
CHILD begging, the ugliest form of child labour, is a curse on society. Ravaged by disease, crime, exploitation and drug abuse, hundreds of poor children populate Karachi’s intersections and street corners. The Sindh Child Protection Authority informed the Sindh Assembly recently that it was, in coordination with the provincial police, planning an anti-child beggary drive to rescue these children. The social welfare minister stated that as organised beggary was a multimillion-rupee racket, it was
With nearly 67 percent of its population below the age of 30, Pakistan stands as one of the youngest nations in the world. This vast youth bulge presents us with a golden opportunity to capitalise on a potential “demographic dividend,” while also presenting the challenge of providing adequate services, jobs and engagement opportunities for our youth. While the country has reached middle-income status and made some progress in developing its human capital, the pace
KARACHI: Highlighting the stark challenges Pakistan face in the education sector, speakers at a book launch said teachers had a central role in the quality of learning outcomes and their participation in decision-making was crucial to elevate the status of teaching profession. Titled Baatein Kitab Ki, the launch was organised by the Aga Khan University Institute for Educational Development (AKU-IED) for the book Teaching and Teacher Education in Pakistan: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives authored
MUZAFFARGARH: A local court in Muzaffargarh acquitted the accused who slit the throats of his three minor sisters after the parents of the deceased girls pardoned their son. The accused admitted to the crime during a police interrogation. However, after nearly one year of his arrest, Additional Sessions Judge Chaudhry Muhammad Asif issued an acquittal order for the accused, following the parents’ consent to forgive their son. The heart-wrenching incident occurred on July 18,
HYDERABAD: A woman allegedly killed her teenage daughter before committing suicide at her residence located near Nara Jail in Hyderabad on 13 September 2024. The SHO SITE police station Imran Rasheed Shaikh told the media that initial investigations suggest that the deceased 45-year-old Bakhtawar gave sleep-inducing pills to her daughter. He added that when the girl fell unconscious her mother tied her hands and feet before strangling her to death. She later hanged herself
Al-Shifa Trust screened approximately 175,000 students over the past year in 550 free eye camps held in underserved areas nationwide. About 50% of the children screened had vision issues, with many experiencing hazy vision and some suffering from congenital cataracts, said Al-Shifa Centre for Community Ophthalmology (ACCO) Deputy General Manager, Dr Hasan Raza. Speaking to the media, Dr Hasan shared that 50% of the affected children suffered from blurry vision also called convergence insufficiency
SAHIWAL: The district police, in collaboration with the education department, has engaged over 150 headmistresses and headteachers from public and private sectors to raise awareness about sexual harassment within and outside school premises. Headteachers from 30 private schools of Sahiwal and Chichawatni tehsils were invited for a dialogue. The primary goal of the 120-minute dialogue was to educate headteachers and enable them to understand and subsequently inform their girl students about the distinction between
LAHORE: The Punjab School Education Department (SED) on 13th September launched a monitoring system to ensure teachers’ attendance in all public schools, expecting to enhance the overall quality of education in the province. The department has introduced a comprehensive monitoring system aimed at ensuring strict adherence to duty hours by school principals and teachers. This initiative is part of a broader effort to enhance the quality of education and maintain discipline within schools. In
LAHORE: A minor girl was allegedly tortured to death in her Baghbanpura home on Shalimar Road on 13th September 2024. The body of Muskan (8) showed clear signs of torture. Authorities took her father and stepmother into custody for interrogation after neighbours claimed they had previously abused the girl over trivial matters. A police official said that a next-door neighbour alerted them when they heard the girl crying. Upon arriving at the scene, police
KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly was on 13th September 2024 informed that the Sindh Child Protection Authority was working in close coordination with the provincial police to conduct anti-child beggary drive for rescuing children who were forced to be involved in this worst form of child labour. Furnishing statement and replies of lawmakers’ written and verbal queries during Question Hour, Social Welfare Minister Tariq Ali Talpur said the organised beggary was a business of multi-million