CHILDREN need education, physical activity, family and relaxation as well as adequate time for sleep (around nine to 12 hours depending on their age). This has become harder to manage as screen time has been increasing a lot in recent decades. A typical day for me —before the era of mobile phones, the internet and social media — was school till about 2pm, lunch, some time for relaxation, an hour or two for homework,
Child Rights in Focus
Rawalpindi: Commissioner Rawalpindi Division Engineer Aamir Khattak has directed all district administrations to finalise comprehensive arrangements for the Matriculation (First Annual) Examinations 2026, commencing from March 27, under the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Rawalpindi. Chairing a high-level review meeting at the Commissioner’s Office, he emphasized that ensuring a peaceful environment for students and maintaining complete transparency in the examination process remain top priorities. He stressed that strict monitoring must be enforced to
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Interior and Narcotics Control Mohsin Naqvi has ordered a comprehensive and aggressive crackdown on drug syndicates targeting educational institutions across the country. During a briefing at the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) Headquarters, the minister stated that the government would mobilise all available resources to dismantle the “drug mafia” and cut off supply lines infiltrating schools, colleges, and universities. Naqvi’s visit signalled a shift toward a more proactive enforcement strategy. He directed
The South Investigation Police have safely recovered a three-year-old girl who was allegedly kidnapped from Seaview beach. The minor, identified as Warisha, had gone missing from the beach on the third day of Eid-ul-Fitr. A case regarding her kidnapping was registered at the Darakhshan police station on March 25. Police said the child’s photographs and details were circulated on social media platforms to aid in her recovery. She was later found safe near Jackson
A man has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor girl in North Nazimabad, officials said on Mar 26. The suspect was caught by the victim’s father with the help of local residents and handed over to police. According to police, an FIR has been registered under Section 337-B on the complaint of the girl’s father, Javed Iqbal, at the Shahrah-e-Noor Jahan police station. The complainant, a resident of Block R, North Nazimabad,
RAWALPINDI: The Punjab School Education Department has ordered that all public and private schools and academies remain closed from March 10 to March 31, warning that any private institution found open in violation will be sealed. Registrations of such schools will be cancelled, show-cause notices issued to those responsible, and salaries of headmasters and teachers in public schools may be stopped if they defy orders. Daily reports on compliance have been sought, while eight
RAWALPINDI: A sharp rise in stray dog bite incidents has been reported within the jurisdiction of the Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation (RMC), with four individuals — including a woman — injured over the past 48 hours and brought to government hospitals. Hospital sources confirmed that three children were among those attacked. The injured have been identified as 28-year-old Hajra Bibi, 10-year-old Luqman, 10-year-old Hareem, and five-year-old Fatima. Two of the victims were treated at Benazir
ISLAMABAD: The Federal Constitutional Court has ruled that while underage marriages may invite criminal liability under the Child Marriage Act, 1929, such unions cannot be declared void, holding that the law provides only for penal consequences and does not invalidate the marriage itself. In a detailed judgment authored by Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi, the court also held that under Islamic law, a Muslim man is permitted to marry women from the “People of the
ISLAMABAD: In countless homes, parents reach for phones, tablets or laptops to quiet restless toddlers, seeking brief relief in busy days. But this simple act is fuelling a hidden crisis. By choosing screens over real interaction, they are unknowingly raising children vulnerable to virtual autism, a condition that stunts emotional growth and social skills during critical early years. What feels like a moment of peace today could cost a lifetime of challenges tomorrow. The
PESHAWAR: Elementary and secondary education department has hired half of the invigilation staff from among the fresh graduates for the upcoming matric examinations with the resolve to save time of students studying in government schools. So far, only teachers of government schools have been performing duty as invigilation staff in matriculation and intermediate examinations across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The absence of the teachers, who perform duty at the examination centres, results in wastage of time
QUETTA: The Child Rights Movement Balochistan has urged the government to provide relief to parents by waiving or reducing fees at private educational institutions, while praising the federal government’s austerity policy as a positive step towards curbing unnecessary expenditures. The movement pointed out that although schools have been closed under the policy, no relief has yet been extended to parents. Private schools and transport operators continue to charge full monthly tuition and transportation fees,
ISLAMABAD: The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) on Mar 25 upheld the validity of a marriage between a Christian woman and a Muslim man, while rejecting a habeas corpus petition filed by her father seeking her recovery. Headed by Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, a two-judge bench held that the woman, who had embraced Islam, was of mature age and therefore in the lawful custody of her husband. The observation came in a judgement deciding