PESHAWAR: Human Rights Council of Pakistan, a non-government organisation, on Mar 7 launched the 2025 human rights report, highlighting that a total of 258 rape cases were reported in the province, but only one conviction was recorded, reflecting a conviction rate of around 0.39pc. The report was launched at the Peshawar Press Club on the eve of International Women’s Day, which is observed on March 8. Speaking on the occasion, the council’s provincial president
Child Rights in Focus
MUZAFFARGARH: An 11-year-old boy was allegedly tortured to death in Layyah under the pretext of performing rituals. According to police, a murder case has been registered against a couple, Shahbaz Gul and his wife Martha Shahbaz Gul, residents of Alishan Colony, Layyah, were taken into custody following a complaint filed by the victim’s uncle, Ejaz Akhtar of Chak 75 A TDA, Layyah. According to the First Information Report (FIR), the deceased child, identified as
MUZAFFARABAD: Rejecting reports that school textbooks had been changed in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), the region’sTextbook Board on Mar 6 clarified that while it had maintained the prices of textbooks for the primary classes, the prices of textbooks for middle classes had been considerably reduced compared to last year. In a press release, the board reiterated that it served as the regulatory body responsible for textbooks and supplementary learning material for classes one
ANOTHER child has fallen victim to polio, this time in Sindh. The National Institute of Health this week confirmed that a four-year-old from Bello in Sujawal, Sindh, is infected with the wild poliovirus, making this the first case in 2026. The development brings back into the limelight Pakistan’s long fight against the incurable and debilitating disease, which can cause lifelong paralysis and even death. Last year marked a welcome reversal from the worrying surge
A recent federal government report on public financing in education contains embarrassing data on the low bar that we have set for the word ‘educated’, as some 77% of 10-year-olds surveyed across the country could not read or understand a simple text. Put another way, it means at least half of kids in school — all of whom are technically considered literate — can barely get past the nominal definition of literacy, which is being able
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court has issued notices to the Capital Development Authority and other civic agencies on a petition seeking immediate covering of open and broken manholes across the federal capital. IHC Chief Justice Sardar Mohammad Sarfraz Dogar, heading a single bench, directed the respondents to submit a report and para-wise comments within a fortnight. The direction was issued on a petition filed by Mughal Din, a resident of G-10 Markaz, against the
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s first large scale campaign to vaccinate adolescent girls against human papillomavirus (HPV) reached only slightly more than half of the target population, with an independent post campaign survey estimating coverage at 53.4 per cent and identifying weak awareness, parental refusals and reporting gaps as key factors limiting the campaign’s reach. The HPV vaccination campaign was conducted from September 15 to 27, 2025, targeting girls aged 9 to 14 years in Punjab, Sindh,
BUCHIANA: An eight-year-old girl was tortured by her stepfather in Buchiana on March 5, who allegedly beat her with iron rods, tied her hands and feet and locked her inside the house before fleeing the scene. Police rescued the child after breaking the lock and arrested the suspect within a few hours of the incident. According to police, the incident occurred in locality 656-GB near Buchiana. The victim, identified as Iman Fatima, was allegedly
KARACHI: Two teenage girls were found dead in separate incidents in Keamari and Orangi Town. In the first incident, a 13-year-old girl was found dead at her home in Kachhi Para, Keamari. Police shifted the body to Civil Hospital with the help of Edhi volunteers. The deceased was identified as Armeesh, daughter of Sajid. Jackson SHO said the girl’s mother, a widow working as a domestic help, had locked the house from outside before
SUKKUR: A five-year-old boy died on Thursday after a pack of stray dogs mauled him near Gambat in Khairpur district. The boy identified as Sameer Hattar was rushed to the hospital covered in blood, but he could not survive and succumbed to his injuries. Locals lamented that stray dogs roamed in the streets and on roads, but no action was being taken against them to save citizens, especially children, from their attack. They appealed
BAHAWALPUR: Vehari Additional District and Sessions Judge Traiq Mahmood Shad, in a juvenile trial, awarded 14 years’ sentence along with fine to a 14-year-old boy in an attempted rape case of a four-year-old girl. According to the prosecution, Muhammad Zohaib (14) allegedly allured the girl child and attempted to rape her at Chak 533/ EB in 2025 in the limits of Machiwal Police Station in district Vehari. Police, on the complaint of the victim’s
ISLAMABAD: The country continues to face critical challenges in financing and ensuring access to education, revealed a government report released on Thursday. With an alarming number of out-of-school children and 77 per cent of ten-year-olds unable to read and understand a simple text, the urgency of aligning financing priorities with teacher quality, learning materials and stronger assessment systems has never been greater. The country’s declining trend in education spending also reflects a progressive weakening