A few days ago, some newspapers carried a news item that has not created a lot of waves yet. In its 49th meeting, the Governing Body of the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC), the national regulator for engineering programmes, decided to allow pre-medical students to be considered for admission to engineering programmes. This decision was disseminated via a letter dated July 11 to vice-chancellors, rectors, and heads of all higher education institutions in Pakistan. The
Child Rights in Focus
Islamabad: Two missing children were safely recovered upon their arrival at Islamabad Airport from Bishkek, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) said. This marks the first successful case under the newly integrated Interpol system with the Integrated Border Management Information System (IBMIS), led by FIA Director General Ahmad Ishaque Jahangir. The children, Muhammad Huzaifa and Ahmed Umair Abid, had been reported missing by the Punjab Police at Police Station Barki, Lahore in 2022. In response,
ABBOTTABAD: A mentally challenged woman allegedly slit the throats of her three children, killing one of them, before cutting her own throat with a sharp knife in Musazai Colony in the limits of Nawan Shehr police station, here on 18 July 2024. According to details, accused Hajra Bibi, wife of Wajid, came to her parent’s home in the afternoon in Musazai Colony, where she allegedly took the extreme action of cutting the throats of
PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to start free meal programme in public sector primary schools. Free meals would be provided to children in primary schools in urban areas of all the divisional headquarters across the province. The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur. Provincial minister for primary and secondary education Faisal Khan Tarakai, adviser to chief minister on finance, Muzamil Aslam, additional chief secretary
ISLAMABAD: To mark World Youth Skills Day, celebrated annually on July 15, the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) has launched a comprehensive social media campaign to raise awareness about the value and importance of skill education. Recognising the impact of mainstream media in spreading this vital message, NAVTTC Chairperson Gulmina Bilal Ahmad appeared on PTV News` morning show `Subh-i-Pakistan`. During her appearance, she discussed NAVTTC`s courses, enrollment procedures and emphasised the importance
The rocky years of adolescence are rarely a smooth sail for budding adults, with sudden physical, emotional, and psychological changes taking a huge toll on their overall wellbeing. While an awkward pimple or emotional breakdown might exhaust an average teenager coping with the upsetting effects of puberty, for minor girls in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) yoked forcefully into marriage way before their legal age, the changes associated with adolescence would be nothing in comparison to
ISLAMABAD: Thirteen-year-old Asim* was quieter than usual when he returned to his home in Jhelum from a motorcycle mechanic’s workshop after completing his first day as a chotu – a term widely used for apprentices. His father, a rickshaw driver, noticed but casually asked about his day at his new workplace while having dinner. “I will never go back to that shop again,” said Asim, an eighth-grade dropout, in a voice barely above a whisper.
It is deeply unfortunate that millions of Pakistani children endure poverty and are forced into labor, a harsh reality that has persisted for years. These children work in factories due to dire economic conditions, often in extreme heat without basic rights like food or education. Imagine a child carrying heavy bricks under the scorching sun without shelter or water. Many suffer abuse, even death, at the hands of their employers. We need child labor
The burden of summer vacation fees is too much for low-income families, making it difficult for parents who are struggling to make ends meet. Despite the absence of educational activities during vacations, parents are still required to pay a fee for those months as well, exacerbating their financial hardships. This is an unfair and unnecessary burden imposed by private-sector schools on underprivileged parents. It is imperative for the government to acknowledge this pressing issue
The education system of Pakistan is becoming worse each day. The literacy rate of the country determines its success. The more educated the people, the more the country will progress. If Pakistan wants to progress, it must pay more attention to its educational system. Most schools don’t pay much attention to the primary level, unaware that it creates the base of a student’s knowledge. On the contrary, extensive stress is put into higher levels
CHARSADDA: Sudais Medical Centre presents a ray of hope for the hearing-impaired children in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as such children are being operated upon successfully with cochlear implant surgery and now they can live a normal life with all the abilities of hearing and speaking. Talking to media persons at the SMC, chief executive officer (CEO) Asmatullah Asar said that cochlear implants were not only the most advanced but also the most expensive treatment for
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on 11 July 2024 directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to assist the police in ascertaining the whereabouts of two children of the owner of a famous eatery whom he took abroad without the consent of their mother. The court also ordered to block his computerized national identity card (CNIC). IHC Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan issued the order on a petition filed by the first wife of