ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services (NHS) on Tuesday showed annoyance over the exorbitant prices of medicines. Besides, it also suggested postponing the Medical and Dental Colleges Admission Test (MDCAT) exam in the aftermath of floods. The committee chairman, Senator Amir Waliuddin Chishti, said increase in prices of medicines was a huge issue. While suggesting expediting the process of registering new drugs, Mr Chishti said Health Minister Mustafa Kamal had told that
Child Rights in Focus
EVERY $1 invested in nutrition yields $23 in economic returns according to global studies. This is particularly true when that investment happens early, from conception to two years of age, when the brain and body grow at their fastest, requiring adequate amounts of essential nutrients. The returns are real: they are seen in children who grow and develop well, stay healthier, remain in school longer and grow into productive adults. Good nutrition reduces healthcare
• Over 200,000 displaced in southern districts • Three killed in Karachi, one death reported in Punjab • Sutlej in high flood as PDMA chief announces ‘end of 10th monsoon spell’; Met official refuses to rule out third wave • UN announces $5m aid; president orders measures to ensure food security LAHORE: As the overflowing Chenab continues to inundate large swathes of land in the southern districts of Punjab, authorities on Tuesday said the next two
At least 13 people, including five children, died as floods devastated Jalalpur Pirwala, where more than 50 villages have been badly affected by the Chenab and Sutlej rivers. Shops and houses collapsed, thousands of acres of crops were destroyed, and rescue teams struggled to reach stranded populations, authorities said. Relief Commissioner Punjab Nabeel Javed said that due to severe flooding in the Ravi, Sutlej, and Chenab rivers, more than 4,300 villages have been affected.
Rawalpindi: The Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Rawalpindi has announced that the Matric Second Annual Examinations 2025, which were earlier scheduled to begin on September 10, will now be held from September 29, 2025. This decision has been taken in view of the current weather conditions, recent flooding in different parts of Punjab, and the difficulties faced by students and parents due to continuous rainfall. Postponing the examinations by almost three weeks aims
ABBOTTABAD: A recent accident on the Karakoram Highway (KKH) in which a dumper crushed a group of schoolchildren has once again laid bare the systemic failures of the traffic management, where rampant negligence, alleged corruption, and revenue-driven policing continue to overshadow public safety. Three students, including two sisters, were killed and four others from the same family were injured in the incident. The plight of the bereaved families has once again raised questions about
At least 19.7 million children under five were vaccinated during a week-long anti-polio campaign held from September 1 to 7 across several districts, according to the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC). Over 4 million children were vaccinated in Punjab, 8.7 million in Sindh, 2.2 million in Balochistan, and 4 million in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. In Islamabad, nearly 479,000 children received polio drops, while 112,000 were vaccinated in Gilgit-Baltistan and 164,000 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Earlier,
On the occasion of International Literacy Day, education experts emphasized that to address the issue of out-of-school children, the country must promote non-formal and informal modes of learning alongside the traditional education system. This, they said, would enable children deprived of education and literacy to play an effective role in social and community development. The experts expressed these views while addressing a ceremony organized by the Directorate of Literacy and Non-Formal Education, School Education
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s monsoon floods have already claimed 910 lives and injured more than 1,000 people, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Officials and health experts warn, however, that the deadliest phase of the disaster may only just be beginning. Outbreaks of dengue, malaria, diarrhoea and other diseases now threaten to claim even more lives than the floods themselves. According to WHO’s Health Emergency: Situation Report #8 – Monsoon and Floods 2025, the deluge
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on September 07 met the United Nations Children’s Fund’s (Unicef) new Pakistan representative, Pernille Ironside. He welcomed her and expressed the hope that the partnership between his government and Unicef would grow stronger during her term. The meeting was held at the CM House and attended by Principal Secretary to CM Agha Wasif and Secretary to CM Raheem Shaikh along with Unicef Karachi Chief Field Officer Prem
KARACHI: A judicial magistrate on Monday granted bail to a man and his wife who were arrested for allegedly burning their teenage maid with an electric iron at their home. The couple, identified as Shahroz Muhammad Ali and Kanwal, were arrested on September 7 by the Ferozabad police, which registered a case against them under Sections 328-A (cruelty to a child) and 337-A (i) (shajjah) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 14-(1)
ISLAMABAD: Many children are forced to drop out of school to support their families economically. By linking education with skills, such children can be brought back to classrooms as parents will see both education and long-term livelihood opportunities for their children. This was stated by Minister of State for Federal Education and Professional Training Wajiha Qamar on September 07 while speaking at a ceremony on ‘Promoting Literacy through Digitalisation’ in collaboration with the Ministry