Islamabad: Leading child rights groups, public health experts and national civil society networks have strongly opposed the government’s proposal to make standards for nicotine-containing, tobacco-free oral products mandatory. They warn that the move could normalise nicotine use, endangering children and undermining public health priorities. The opposition comes from the Child Rights Movement (CRM), Syed Ishtiaq Gilani of the National Action and Coordination Group (NACG), SAIEVAC’s Civil Society Mechanism, the All Pakistan NGOs Alliance (APNA),
Child Rights in Focus
ISLAMABAD: Senators on Friday called for keeping tabs on the use of social media platforms by children under 18, with the chair proposing a special committee to develop safeguards in consultation with relevant ministries. The issue was raised through a calling-attention notice moved by Senators Falak Naz, Fawzia Arshad, Aimal Wali Khan, Saadia Abbasi and Dilawar Khan. Presiding over the sitting, Senator Sherry Rehman said some checks were needed and suggested forming a special
ISLAMABAD: The Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (Peira) on Friday told schools that they can’t increase their fee by more than five per cent annually. “Today, we held a meeting with schools and asked them that no school can raise fee more than eight per cent. Schools are bound to increase only five per cent, in special cases, after showing their expenditure sheet, schools can increase further 3pc…but no school in any case can
Rawalpindi: The Rawalpindi Police conducted an awareness walk on January 16 to highlight the hazards of kite flying and aerial firing, and to educate the public on the legal consequences of such activities. The walk, launched on the special instructions of City Police Officer (CPO) Syed Khalid Hamdani, took place across areas under Race Course and R. A. Bazaar police station limits. A large number of citizens attended, including Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP)
Islamabad: Dr Abrar Hussain Malik, Central President of the All Pakistan Private Schools & Colleges Association (APPSCA), has urged authorities to notify schools at least three working days before inspections and to ensure registration and renewal certificates are issued on time. An APPSCA delegation, led by Dr Abrar, met Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (PEIRA) Chairman Dr Ghulam Ali Mallah and submitted their demands highlighting administrative, legal and operational challenges faced by private schools.
KARACHI: Amid growing incidents of dog-bite in the metropolis, residents of Ittehad Town’s Qaimkhani Colony and Nawab Colony continue to live in constant fear due to the growing menace of stray canines in the area. The situation has become particularly alarming for women and children, as several minors have been attacked and injured in separate incidents over the past few days. According to local sources, packs of stray dogs roam freely in the neighbourhoods,
BAHAWALPUR: A horrifying case of grave desecration has shaken Bahawalpur after the body of a 16-year-old girl was exhumed and desecrated in the suburban area of Inayati. Police said the prime suspect, a self-styled practitioner of black magic, was later killed during a police encounter, while his accomplices remain at large. The victim, Ramsha Bibi, had died after suffering an electric shock and was buried in a local graveyard on Sunday evening. However, when
A three-year-old boy who was abducted from Al-Fatah Family Park in Karachi’s North Nazimabad on January 11 was safely recovered late at night on 15 January, bringing relief and joy to his family. According to officials, DSP Kamal Naseem, who had been appointed by DIG West to lead the police team tasked with recovering the child, stepped down from his position after the successful operation. Naseem was among five DSPs previously removed from their
ISLAMABAD: A clinical psychiatrist has urged society to rethink its approach to bullying and called on parents to play an active role in preventing peer victimisation in schools, warning that the issue severely impacts adolescents’ emotional well-being, social development and academic performance. Speaking to a local media channel, renowned clinical psychiatrist Dr Sana Farooq highlighted the alarming rise in bullying and peer victimisation among school-going adolescents, describing it as a growing public health concern
KARACHI: With less than six weeks remaining before the expected start of the 2026 matriculation examinations, nearly one million Class IX and X students across Sindh are grappling with uncertainty due to delays in the release of model question papers under the newly introduced Uniform Examination Syllabus (UES). The Sindh School Education Department recently overhauled the matric examination system, shifting to a Student Learning Outcomes (SLO)-based assessment framework. However, despite the policy change, the
TAXILA: At least 11 people, including four children, were mauled by “rabid”dogs in Sadat Colony and adjacent areas in Wah, according to local officials. The injured were rushed to the Wah General hospital where they were provided necessary first aid as well as Anti-Rabies Vaccination. The children were attacked on the face and forehead while the elders on hand and legs. Talking to Dawn, the MS said that all the injured were referred to Rawalpindi
KARACHI: While dismissing an appeal filed by the state against the acquittal of a 13-year-old boy, the Sindh High Court has observed that the teenager was implicated in an explosive substances case merely because he was present in his father’s house at the time of the alleged recovery. The SHC also noted that the case was registered only against Hafiz Bashir Ahmed Laghari and the same was cancelled after his death, but third investigating