ISLAMABAD: The Parliamentary Caucus on Child Rights of the National Assembly convened a meeting titled “Polio-Free Pakistan: A Legislative Priority” here on November 19. The meeting was chaired by the convenor of PCCR, MNA Dr Nikhat Shakeel Khan, and attended by parliamentarians’ secretaries, representatives from health and finance departments. Dr Nikhat Shakeel Khan underscored the urgent need for robust legislative measures to eradicate Wild Polio Virus (WPV1) from Pakistan. She emphasised that eliminating polio
Child Rights in Focus
WORLD Children’s Day is upon us, yet countless children are denied even simple rights that should never be in question. This year’s call to “listen to children and stand up for their rights” feels painfully apt. Millions of children wake up each day to fear and uncertainty. In conflict zones, children endure bombardment, displacement, trauma and the loss of homes, families, and schools. They are not just witnesses to violence; they are being killed,
RAWALPINDI: After a suicide attack at the Islamabad district courts and due to heightened security threats, a new 10-point security advisory has been issued for public and private schools across the Rawalpindi division. Permission has also been granted for the recruitment of 30,000 retired military and police personnel on daily wages across the province. The Education Department has issued an emergency circular to all district and tehsil education officers and school heads, mandating the
LAHORE: As the Punjab government proceeds with recruitment of 12,500 School Teacher Interns (STIs), a proposal from the province’s top prosecution office has shifted the conversation from employment opportunities to student safety. Punjab Prosecutor General, Syed Farhad Ali Shah has formally recommended that every new and existing school employee be screened through a national Sex Offenders Register (SOR), a move spurred not only by the massive teacher hiring under way but also recent child
MANSEHRA: A government-run school in Shitial area of Upper Kohistan, which had been functioning in the open after its prefabricated structure was destroyed in a windstorm, has now been shifted to tents. “We have provided tents to education department not only for this school but also for other institutions that were left without shelters after the August windstorm,” Upper Kohistan Deputy Commissioner Tariq Ali Khan told journalists on November 18. The primary school, which
At some point in their lives, those who call this country home would have had to go through the experience of being outside when nature calls in the full knowledge that there are few, if any, public toilets nearby. While most men would still be able to make do in such a scenario, for women these circumstances can be truly harrowing. And while moments like this are simply awkward or even humorous for those
ISLAMABAD: Minister for Finance Muhammad Aurangzeb has said the country’s long-term economic prospects depend on effectively confronting the dual national challenges of rapid population growth and climate vulnerability. He made the observation while addressing the launching ceremony of the District Vulnerability Index for Pakistan (DVIP), organised by the Population Council in collaboration with the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO). The finance minister said the impacts of high population growth are visible in persistent
PESHAWAR: Paediatricians have expressed serious concerns over ineffectiveness of antibiotics in typhoid fever in children, urging health department to launch vaccination campaign, improve water and sanitation services and ensure rational use of antibiotics. The authors of a recently published study have written to health department that the findings have confirmed extensively drug-resistant (XDR) typhoid in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, severely limiting treatment options. The study titled “Emerging trends of antimicrobial resistance in salmonella Typhi and Paratyphi
KARACHI: Police on November 18 detained a relative of a newlywed girl for questioning after the suspected murder of 17-year-old Zainab, daughter of a police constable, whose body was found in Defence on Monday evening. A murder case has been registered against unknown suspects, while the body has been sent to the family’s hometown in Narowal for burial. According to police, Zainab — wife of Muhammad Zain — was discovered with a ligature mark around her
RAWALPINDI: The Education Department has formally approved a complete overhaul of the curriculum for all prescriptive textbooks, covering key stages from Class VI (Year 7) through to Class X (Matriculation/Year 11). This significant change is slated for implementation starting with the new academic session spanning 2026 to 2027. The Punjab Education Curriculum Training and Assessment Authority (PCTAA) has duly issued a formal circular to ratify and announce these syllabus amendments. In total, 20 textbooks
TIMERGARA: The Lower Dir Police on November 17 recovered a 10-year-old girl who had been kidnapped from Gulo Shah, Timergara, the previous day. According to the police, an unidentified motorcyclist abducted at gunpoint 10-year-old Dua Rahman and 9-year-old Rabia while they were on their way back from the house of their relatives. After the kidnapping, the abductor roamed various roads on his motorcycle, moving from one place to another as shown in CCTV footage.