RAWALPINDI: The Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) intercepted a consignment at the Islamabad International Airport that was to be sent to the United Kingdom (Manchester), and recovered 10.4 kg narcotics. According to airport sources, the ANF intercepted the consignment of 69 cartons, containing clothes at the air freight unit (AFU) of the customs. The sources said packets of heroin of more than one kilogramme each were recovered from one of the cartons after which the ANF
Child Rights in Focus
Pakistan’s education system spans multiple levels, including compulsory education for children aged 5-16, covering pre-primary to higher secondary education, with 349,909 institutions serving over 56 million students as of 2022-23. Despite improvements, around 26 million children remain out of school, with girls making up a significant portion. The out-of-school crisis worsened due to COVID-19 and floods. Non-Formal Education (NFE) initiatives like Accelerated Learning Programs (ALPs) have been critical in addressing this gap, especially through
In 2023, Pakistan had approximately 26.2 million out-of-school children (OOSC) aged 5-16, up from 23 million due to the impacts of COVID-19 and severe floods. Non-Formal Education (NFE) has been critical in addressing this crisis through flexible and innovative learning models like Accelerated Learning Programs (ALPs), which focus on primary, middle, and vocational levels. A recent “ZERO OOSC Campaign” in Islamabad, supported by NGOs and international partners, successfully enrolled 75,000 out of 87,000 identified
KARACHI: The Sindh Education Foundation (SEF), Government of Sindh, is successfully operating 35 people’s schools across the province, enrolling over 25,000 students and creating a thriving academic community. These schools are fully equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, providing a conducive environment for learning. The SEF has achieved this milestone in just two years. This progress was discussed by Managing Director SEF Abdul Kabir Kazi at the ‘PSP Annual Conference for Performance Review,’ held at a
LAHORE: Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat has said no school is being privatised. The minister said this while holding a meeting with columnists and analysts in which educational challenges faced by Punjab and possible measures were discussed. The minister talked about the reforms in the education sector and gave a briefing on the up-gradation of schools, TNA test, outsourcing and other issues. Rana Sikandar Hayat clarified that no school was being privatised and
LAHORE: Impact of this year’s smog will have devastating effects, particularly on children and pregnant women, says Unicef chief, reports Geo News. More than 11 million children under the age of five are exposed to toxic air as Punjab, especially Lahore, has been gripped by severe smog for the past few weeks. Unicef Representative in Pakistan Abdullah Fadil expressed concern over the health issues, saying the worse quality of air will affect young children
LAHORE: High blood pressure and diabetes during pregnancy are not only a cause of serious risks for pregnant women but also a threat to the health of babies. Because of these issues, the chance of miscarriage increases and if the blood glucose level exceeds the required limit, other complications may also arise like protein secretion in the urine and swelling of the body. This was stated by Ameeruddin Medical College Principal Prof Dr Muhammad
TOBA TEK SINGH: A nine-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped by two youths in Chak 203 RB in Samundri, Faisalabad. The Mureedwala police registered a case under section 375-A of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). According to the FIR, the complainant claimed her daughter was lured by the two suspects to an outhouse belonging to a third accomplice. Police say after the assault, the alleged rape survivor was dropped near her home and the suspect
OKARA: A teenage girl was rescued after four weeks on 10th November and the penal section of rape was added to the already registered first information report of kidnapping. The Hujra Shah Muqeem police recovered the 15-year-old girl who was kidnapped on Oct 12 from Hujra Shah Muqeem Chowk. Her father had got a case registered against a named and two unidentified co-suspects. The police said that the girl after recovery stated that she
Despite govt banning child begging, Social Welfare Dept fails to rehabilitate minors forced into the trade Every child born into this world has a right to a safe home and a secure future, which under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, is the state’s obligation to fulfil. However, the authorities in Sindh, neither have the time nor the eagerness to address the unfortunate children wasting their lives away on the roads. Despite the government
New fees, and development charges cause strong backlash from parents RAWALPINDI: Amid a severe financial crisis, the education boards have introduced a “heavy fee bomb” for students taking the 9th and 10th (matriculation) annual examinations in March 2025, causing a strong backlash from parents. The boards have also introduced development funds for students. The Boards Committee has released the fee schedule for the 2025 annual examinations. The certificate fee is now Rs1,000, the processing
Moonlighting as a girl, suspect would befriend boys on social media A major operation by the FIA Cyber Crime Circle in Dera Ismail Khan led to the arrest of a suspect who blackmailed minor children and their families by making indecent videos. The accused, named Muhammad Kashif Karim, was found to be making videos of minors and was involved in sexual exploitation. According to FIA officials, the action against the suspect was taken after