It is both sad and embarrassing that on the very day the Prime Minister launched the year’s first nationwide polio campaign, a police constable on duty was shot dead in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Jamrud town. This was supposed to mark a renewed effort to eradicate a crippling disease, but instead, it exposed yet again the failure of the state to protect those on the frontlines. The government should have taken strong preemptive measures to ensure the
Child Rights in Focus
PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has directed authorities to provide furniture to government schools in the province on an urgent basis. He issued these directives while chairing a meeting with senior officials of the elementary and secondary education department here, according to a statement issued here on 3rd February. The meeting, which was called to examine the performance, mandate, and challenges of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Education Monitoring Authority (KPEMA), was attended
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on 03-February-2025 launched the February 2025 National Immunisation Days campaign by administering polio drops to children at an official ceremony at the CM House. The initiative aims to immunise over 10.6 million children under five across the province and reaffirm the provincial government’s commitment to eradicating polio. To ensure the safety of around 82,000 polio workers, over 21,844 security personnel have been deployed across Sindh, including 5,833
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has launched its first nationwide polio vaccination campaign of 2025, aiming to immunise more than 45.4 million children under the age of five. Starting from February 3 to 9, the campaign will mobilise over 400,000 frontline workers to reach children in every part of the country. According to the National Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), the campaign will cover 23.3 million children in Punjab, 10.6 million in Sindh, 7.3 million in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,
KARACHI: Nothing less than a miracle: missing minors found safe The South Zone Police found the missing child and handed him over to his family. According to the spokesperson for DIG South, on February 2, a citizen named Sher Afzal son of Gul Khan had filed a missing report at the Boat Basin police station about his 12-year-old son Muhammad Shakeel. According to the father, Muhammad Shakeel had left home in the morning to
GILGIT: The Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, in collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), is set to launch smart classrooms in 40 girls’ schools across Gilgit-Baltistan. According to a statement, the project aimed to enhance the quality of education in the region and provide a more engaging learning experience to students. In the first phase, the districts of Nagar, Ghizer, Shigar, Diamer and Kharmang have been selected
PESHAWAR: The Educational Testing and Evaluation Agency (ETEA) has successfully conducted the Computer-Based Test (CBT) for the award of scholarships to students of 6th and 7th grades from government schools across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Officials said the initiative reflected the commitment of the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa towards ensuring a fair, transparent, and technologically advanced examination system. “The scholarship programme is aimed at providing talented students with fully funded education up to the 12th
LAHORE: Punjab will launch the first National Immunisation Days (NIDs) of 2025 on 3rd February, aiming to immunize 23.3 million children under five against polio. Head of the Punjab Polio Programme Adeel Tassawar emphasized the urgency of the campaign, citing genetic sequencing data that confirms the circulation of both local and imported poliovirus in the province. “The presence of poliovirus in environmental samples underscores the need for heightened vigilance, swift responses, and a collective
A court has dismissed the bail application of a man in a case pertaining to alleged abduction of a teenage girl from Karachi. Azhar Ali was booked for allegedly kidnapping a 15-year-old girl from Karachi’s Gulshan-e-Iqbal and trafficking her to Naushehro Feroze last month. He moved an application before Judicial Magistrate (East) Gul Zamir Solangi through his lawyer seeking post-arrest bail. After hearing arguments from both sides and perusing the case record, the magistrate
The Karachi administration on 01-February-2025 launched a direct outreach campaign to engage parents who had refused polio vaccinations for their children in recent drives, in an effort to bolster polio eradication efforts. The initiative aims to ensure full parental cooperation, so no child is left without the crucial vaccine. In the first phase of this campaign, a list has been compiled of parents in District East who had previously declined polio drops. Karachi Commissioner
THATTA: In a landmark verdict, Thatta sessions court on 1st February sentenced two accused to death after finding them guilty of abducting, sexually assaulting and murdering a seven-year-old girl in Gharo in December 2019. The incident had sent shockwaves through the area’s residents as one of the convicts was the victim’s close relative. The accused Irshad Mallah, the victim’s own uncle, and Sikandar Shah kidnapped Dua Wasayo Mallah, took her to a jungle where
“In this country, we’re not even counted based on accurate data, let alone having the opportunity to list our issues,” lamented Sindh Education Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah during a youth conference on 01-February-2025. Titled ‘Challenges and Solutions for 21st Century Youth’, the conference was organised by the provincial sports & youth affairs department. Shah was speaking during a session on gaps in the education system. The panel also included journalists, intellectuals and Indus