QUETTA: A wheel-jam strike will be observed in Balochistan on 25th November on a joint call for protest given by various political parties, traders, transporters, civil society against the kidnapping of a 10-year-old student. In a statement, the originators of a protest sit-in at Zarghoon Unity Chowk said that there would be no traffic on national highways, as major cities would observe a complete wheel-jam strike against the government’s failure to recover the student.
Child Rights in Focus
ISLAMABAD: The appointment of the heads of the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) and two other departments of the education ministry has been facing an inordinate delay, badly affecting their work. The FDE, which is a regulatory body of 431 schools and colleges in Islamabad, has been run on an ad hoc basis for the last over one year. The DG post is of grade 21. The Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s polio crisis deepens as three more children were confirmed paralyzed by wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1), pushing the total number of cases to 55 this year, Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) officials said on 23-November-2024. Among the newly affected are an 8-month-old girl from DI Khan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a 20-month-old girl from Zhob, and a 5-month-old boy from Jaffarabad in Balochistan. The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute
QUETTA: The Legal Aid Society, in collaboration with the Ministry of Law and Justice, the Balochistan government, and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), hosted a pivotal consultation to strengthen the implementation of the Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) Act, 2021, and establish Anti-Rape Crisis Cells in Balochistan. They underscored the importance of multi-sectoral collaboration, uniting government officials, legal experts, and key stakeholders to address challenges and develop survivor-centric strategies. Discussions focused on barriers to
In a celebration of World Children’s Day, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on 23-November-2024 led an awareness walk with children, parents, community leaders, NGO representatives and government officials aimed at emphasising the importance of children’s rights and the shared responsibility to ensure their protection and well-being. Observed globally on November 20 each year, World Children’s Day serves as a reminder to advocate for the rights and welfare of children. The walk was
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on 22nd November directed all schools to provide transportation for students after the upcoming winter vacation as part of measures to combat smog. During the hearing on multiple petitions regarding environmental issues, Justice Shahid Karim observed that students must be transported to and from their homes via school buses. “Schools failing to comply with the order will face closure,” the judge maintained. The judge also warned schools from sending
An eight-year-old girl who was abducted in Faisalabad was rescued during a raid at a farm in the Sukhan area of Karachi, and one suspect was arrested. Police said the girl was kidnapped on November 17, and a case of her abduction was registered at a police station in Faisalabad. The police of District Malir used technical and human sources to rescue the girl from a farm on Sukhan Road. Police said the kidnapper
SUKKUR: Speakers at a seminar at Shah Abdul Latif University, Khairpur, on 21st November warned against irreparable harms of cousin marriage and said it could lead to genetic disorders, including thalassemia, cystic fibrosis, Down syndrome and visual and hearing impairment. A statement issued by the university said that SALU’s Department of Zoology organised the seminar in collaboration with Sukkur Blood and Drug Donating Society on “Impact of consanguinity (cousin marriage) on our society” which
Islamabad: A reception hosted by French Ambassador Nicolas Galey at his residence here brought the Polio Oversight Board members and local stakeholders together to reinforce their shared commitment to fighting polio in Pakistan. Currently, a POB delegation, led by board chair Dr Chris Elias and comprising Dr Hanan Balkhy of the World Health Organisation, Sanjay Wijesekera of UNICEF and Dr Andrea Fristedt of the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, is currently in
KARACHI: A sessions court dismissed a pre-arrest bail application of a suspect in a case pertaining to rape of a 10-year-old girl. Additional District and Sessions Judge Ghulam Mustafa Laghri, who is also the presiding officer of the Gender-Based Violence Court (Central), dismissed the pre-arrest bail application after hearing the counsel from both sides. “I am of the humble view that the applicant is not entitled to concession of bail, therefore, the instant bail
WHETHER schools are open or closed, it is not going to have much of an impact on smog levels across Punjab. The decision about closing schools has more to do with some notion that children will be less exposed to the smog if they stay at home than if they have to go to school and come back in smoggy conditions. It might work for some children but other issues and some consequences of
ISLAMABAD: The Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court on 21st November took notice of the kidnapping of a child from Quetta and summoned the police chiefs and home secretaries of all provinces on the next hearing. Headed by Justice Aminud Din Khan, the six-judge bench issued directives on a set of petitions regarding the kidnapping and trafficking of children as well as the recovery of missing children. The case will again be taken up on