In 2018, the horrific Zainab rape and murder case shocked the nation, prompting leaders to promise a safer environment for children. Yet, five years later, the situation remains dire. Recent reports of six boys rescued from their abusers by Punjab police reveal that children in Pakistan continue to be at risk, with authorities doing little to protect them. The fact that these children were drugged and their explicit videos recorded for profit underscores the
Child Rights in Focus
Delhi Government Boys School, Karimabad, tops Karachi’s Matric exams after 28 years, ongoing education issues. After a gap of 28 years, a government school – Delhi Government Boys School, Karimabad – has secured the top position in the recent secondary board examinations in Karachi. The last time a government-run school topped the Matric exams was in 1996 when the same school had achieved this distinction. Since then, private schools have consistently dominated the top
A study reveals high abortion rates in Pakistan, driven by poor contraception access and unmet family planning needs A new study shows a concerning trend of induced abortions being used as a form of birth control in Pakistan, with abortion rates over four times as high as in so-called ‘liberal’ countries. Part of the problem remains abysmally poor access to contraception and low contraception awareness. At least 17% of women have an unmet need
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is facing an escalating polio crisis with experts warning that the country could see 55 to 65 wild poliovirus cases by the end of 2024 due to immunity gaps, particularly in key reservoirs such as Karachi, Quetta and Peshawar. This growing threat is compounded by missed vaccinations, refusals and ongoing issues within the national polio eradication programme. A report by the Institute for Disease Modeling (IMD) has raised alarms that the number
Khadija Hafiz was looking to buy a black cloth for her lawyer’s gown at Lahore’s Liberty Market when a man approached her. “Are you a lawyer?” he asked, looking at the black coat she had on, before adding, “I need your help, please.” A daily wage labourer, Ahmed* told Khadija about the seven years he had spent unsuccessfully struggling to get a computerised national identity card (CNIC) made for himself and the continuous back-and-forth
BAHAWALPUR: Teachers across Punjab took to the streets on World Teachers’ Day on 5th October, demanding a reversal of privatisation policies in the education sector and the restoration of pension benefits. Demonstrations were held in Lodhran, Okara, Faisalabad, and Sahiwal, where teachers condemned the outsourcing of public schools and other government policies they believe are detrimental to the education system and their rights. Teachers observed the day as a “black day,” voicing their concerns
ISLAMABAD: Violence is a reality for half of the world’s children as one billion of them experience physical, emotional or sexual abuse every year. “Experiencing violence is not only a violation of children’s rights, it also increases the risk of mental health conditions, non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and cancer, infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS, and social problems such as criminal activity and substance abuse,” said the World Health Organisation (WHO). “Violence does more than
• AKUH doctor says Mefenamic acid, not paracetamol, should be used for fever, pain • People urged to practice good hygiene, use boiled water for drinking, eat properly cooked food, and getting their children vaccinated KARACHI: A growing number of children reporting to health facilities these days with non-specific signs, such as sore throat, body pains and slight fever are being found infected with the hepatitis A virus, it has emerged. “Hepatitis A is
UMERKOT: The bodies of a 32-year-old man and his three children aged between four and eight were found hanging from a tree near Palli Morr (turning) within the jurisdiction of the Bodar Farm police station of Umerkot district late on the evening of October 4. The police collected the bodies and took them to a government hospital for a postmortem examination. The man was identified as Chaman Kolhi and his children as Bhagchand, 8,
KARACHI: A minor boy drowned while another was rescued from a drain at Sohrab Goth on 4th October, rescue services officials said. Rescue-1122 official Hassaan Khan told Dawn that two children were playing with an electric wire at the bank of a nullah (drain) near Sohrab Goth when they suffered an electric shock and fell in the drain. He said that one boy, identified as Ismail Fakhar, 12, who was at the bank of
LAHORE: Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on 4th October laid a foundation stone of the country’s first autism school in the public sector. She directed the authorities concerned to immediately start hiring autism experts. “Pakistan’s first autism school project is very close to my heart. A child with autism deserves compassion and love,” she said and inspected the model of autism school and was briefed on it by the authorities concerned here on Friday. The
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on 4th October directed the Punjab school education secretary to evaluate a representation of two social workers seeking facilities for visually-impaired students in the educational institutions of the province. Justice Shujaat Ali Khan heard a petition filed by Sakhi Usman and Ali Abbas, who being students and social workers, wrote a research paper for the betterment of visually-impaired students studying in different institutions. Advocate Humayoun Faiz Rasool appeared on