Child Rights in Focus

Punjab Govt Promoting AI-based Modern Education System: Speakers

May 13, 2026
TAXILA: Speakers at an awareness seminar in Attock on May 11 said the Punjab government was taking initiatives to modernise the education sector by introducing Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital learning and advanced teaching technologies across the province. The seminar, organised by Nawaz Sharif School of Eminence, brought together students, parents, teachers and education stakeholders from different areas of the district. Addressing the gathering, participants were informed that the Nawaz Sharif School of Eminence project

Al-Shifa Trust Helps 140 Children Beat Eye Cancer

May 13, 2026
Rawalpindi: For hundreds of families bringing their children to Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, the biggest fear is not only cancer, but whether delayed treatment has reduced the chances of saving their child’s eyesight and recovery. Doctors at the hospital’s Cancer Unit said nearly 140 children treated over the past three years are now free of cancer, a milestone they described as significant in a country where childhood eye cancer is often diagnosed at advanced

A Better Start

May 12, 2026
THE first 1,000 days of a child’s life often shape decades to come. In Pakistan, where chronic malnutrition has long harmed childhood development, an evaluation of the Benazir Nashonuma Programme shows that some children are finally getting a better start. The Aga Khan University study found a 22pc reduction in child stunting among beneficiary children at six months and an 18pc decline at one year. Equally encouraging were the reductions in low birth weight,

A Girl’s Age

May 12, 2026
ON July 29, 2025, Maria Shahbaz, a 13-year-old Christian girl, was abducted in Lahore by her 30-year-old neighbour. She was subsequently forced to convert to Islam and marry her captor. A police investigation confirmed that the marriage certificate produced by the abductor was fabricated and not registered with any union council. The girl’s father presented the Nadra-issued B-Form and school records to the honourable court, as evidence of her age. However, on Feb 3,

Minor Girl Dies in Open Manhole

May 12, 2026
TOBA TEK SINGH: A minor girl died after falling into an open manhole in Tandlianwala, Faisalabad, on May 10. Reports said Hania (4), daughter of Muhammad Wasim of Tayyaba Town locality, went to the street but did not return even after two hours. During a search, locals found her dead in an open manhole. Published in Dawn, May 11th, 2026.

Diarrhoea, Gastrointestinal Infections May Record Upward Trend

May 12, 2026
Rawalpindi: Water and food-borne diseases including diarrhoea and gastrointestinal infections may hit the population hard in this region of the country in next two to three weeks as the existing hot weather conditions are conducive and much favourable for growth of microorganisms. The situation regarding spread of summer-related health threats is well under control at the moment, at least, in this region of the country and almost all public sector hospitals in town including

Govt Decides to Extend Semester System To Private Schools

May 12, 2026
PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Private Schools Regularity Authority has decided to extend semester system to private schools to bring them at par with government educational institutions in terms of academic calendar. The elementary and secondary education department replaced the British-era annual examination system last year in government schools for students up to 8th grade with the two-semester system. The new system was introduced to lessen burden on students and teachers and save time of students.

Body of Missing Child Found in Village Graveyard

May 12, 2026
TOBA TEK SINGH: Police claimed to have found the remains of a child, who was kidnapped on April 29, from the graveyard of his village, Chak 279 JB Bajwara in Gojra tehsil on May 10. Police said deceased Arham Zahid (12) disappeared from his home and a kidnapping case was registered against unidentified persons on April 29 by the Nawan Lahore Police. His father Zahid had claimed in his complaint that his son went

Govt Asked to Set Up Higher Secondary School for Girls

May 11, 2026
LAKKI MARWAT: Elders of Mela Mandrakhel have expressed their deep concern over the lack of higher secondary level education facilities and urged the provincial government to set up a higher secondary school for girls in the area. Talking to journalists here on Saturday, they said that the rural locality lacked proper educational facilities for girls, forcing them to travel to Lakki city on a daily basis to get higher secondary education. They said that

Police Fail to Arrest DGK School Owner

May 11, 2026
DERA GHAZI KHAN: Police have failed to arrest the owner of the private school whose roof caved in, resulting in the death of four schoolchildren and injuries to 20 others, including 16 children. Regional Police Officer (RPO) Muhammad Azhar Akram had issued orders to the district police officer to ensure the immediate arrest of Little Scholars School owner Sheikh Akram. Police claim that special police teams were formed to arrest the principal and raids

Karachi Remains High-risk Polio Zone Despite Efforts, Say Health Experts

May 10, 2026
KARACHI: Describing misinformation and rumours as the biggest challenge in the fight for polio eradication, experts on Friday said that Karachi remained a high-risk zone due to persistent virus circulation and population movement. They were speaking at a media briefing on the upcoming Polio Booster Dose Campaign organised at the Karachi Press Club. The attendees included members of the Sindh Polio Eradication Programme, the Sindh Emergency Operations Centre core team and health experts. The

School Tragedy: Children’s Parents Want to Register Their Own Case

May 10, 2026
DERA GHAZI KHAN: The parents of the deceased minor students have demanded that the case be registered based on their own complaint, not on the one filed by a government official of the municipal corporation. They believe that registering the case on the complaint of a municipal official is an attempt to protect the responsible officers from accountability. They staged a sit-in to press for their demands. Among the victims was Hania, a child
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