ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s ambitious campaign to vaccinate girls against cervical cancer is facing serious setbacks, with less than 20 percent of girls aged 9–14 years have been immunised so far, despite global recognition of its importance, officials revealed on September 23. Even in the federal capital, home to some of the country’s most educated citizens, the coverage rate has stalled at around 16 percent, reflecting deep-rooted misconceptions and negative propaganda surrounding the Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
Child Rights in Focus
Children make up nearly half of Pakistan’s population, yet remain the most overlooked in climate planning. From school closures during floods and heatwaves to rising health risks, child labour, and unsafe displacement, climate change is undoing vital development gains for millions. Despite numerous policies, child-focused action remains missing. Read the full brief, Climate Change and Children in Pakistan, to see why children must be placed at the center of Pakistan’s climate response.
PESHAWAR: Special Assistant to the Chief Minister for Science and Information Technology, Dr Shafqat Ayaz, has said that the provincial government’s E-Basta Project has entered its final stages, which will bring a digital revolution to the education system of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “This project will not only provide educational facilities to students but will also offer parents and teachers a platform to directly monitor students’ performance,” he added.According to a handout, Dr Shafqat Ayaz stated
ISLAMABAD: A new confirmed polio case in Hyderabad has pushed Pakistan’s nationwide tally to 27 and the number of cases in Sindh to seven so far this year, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) said on September 22. According to Regional Reference Laboratory’s official at NIH, the lab has confirmed a polio case in District Hyderabad, Sindh. “With this detection, the total number of polio cases in Pakistan in 2025 has reached 27 —
QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti has said that unnecessary posts in various government departments are being abolished and 3,200 non-functional schools have been reopened and made functional in the province. Speaking to students of various educational institutions on Monday, the chief minister said the youth represent the country’s future, and the government is committed to shielding them from negative propaganda. “We have made over 3,200 non-functional schools functional and now classes have been
ISLAMABAD: The education ministry has decided to seek financial help from the community as well as support for non-formal education (NFE) schools of the capital city, which have been facing “persistent challenges, including limited infrastructure, scarce learning materials, inadequate hygiene facilities, and minimal teacher support.” According to the education ministry, there are 1,300 community schools in Islamabad with 1,700 teachers, which are offering non-formal education. These schools are being run by Basic Education Community
TOBA TEK SINGH: The change in the procedure for obtaining stamp papers, introduced by the Punjab Board of Revenue (BoR), is causing problems for the students under the age of 18 years who apply for domicile and provincial government scholarship. The BoR has changed the procedure, making it mandatory to enter registered mobile phone number of the applicant and a copy of his/her valid Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) for the issuance of stamp
LAHORE: Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat has directed textbook review committees to ensure error-free and high-quality publications, warning that delays or mistakes in textbooks will not be tolerated. Chairing a meeting of the committees, the minister said errors in curriculum can harm future generations and must be eliminated. He instructed that all textbooks undergo timely review and stressed that no excuses for delays will be accepted. For the first time, teachers from both
THE world’s battle against polio is stuck on a glass mountain. After 37 years and $22bn, the Independent Monitoring Board has declared that conventional strategies are running out of road. Its latest assessment, The Glass Mountain, places Pakistan centre stage. The country has reported 27 new cases this year — small in absolute terms, but large enough to confirm what the IMB calls “resurgence” in one of the last reservoirs of wild poliovirus. The board’s findings are
KARACHI: The Sindh Community Foundation (SCF) marked its 8th anniversary on September 19 with a dialogue on Sindh’s development pathways, bringing together academics, activists and civil society representatives under the theme “Discourse on Development Issues in Sindh: Challenges & Collaborative Avenues.” Speaking at the event, Dr Riaz Sheikh, Dean of Social Sciences at SZABIST, said peace remained central to sustainable development at both internal and regional levels. He noted that Public Sector Development Programme
HYDERABAD: Civil society representatives urged the Sindh government to strictly enforce the Child Marriage Restraint Act, warning that underage marriages remain rampant due to poor implementation. At a dialogue in Mirpurkhas, organised by the Hari Welfare Association, activists and officials expressed alarm over the persistence of the practice. The event also marked the launch of a district-level civil society forum focused on protecting child rights and preventing early marriages. Hari Welfare Association’s executive, Akram
KARACHI: Sindh Health and Population Welfare Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho has condemned a social media campaign spreading disinformation about the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, stressing that it prevents cervical cancer and is not a contraceptive. Speaking at the launch of a two-day vaccination camp at the Karachi Press Club, aimed at immunising daughters of press club members, she said 57 percent of Sindh’s 4.1 million girls aged between 9 and 14 have already