ESCALATING incidents of violence against women, children and other vulnerable sections reflect a dire need to plug procedural gaps before enacting laws. The National Assembly has passed a new Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Bill, 2025, which aims to build “protection, relief and rehabilitation of women, men, transgender, children and any vulnerable person against domestic violence” in Islamabad. It sets broad parameters for the many forms of cruelty — physical and sexual to psychological
Child Rights in Focus
LAHORE: The School Education Department (SED) Punjab has directed all public and private schools to strictly follow security protocols to ensure student safety. In a notification, education officials across the province have been asked to verify and implement all previously instructed security arrangements without delay. The department emphasised that all security measures must be followed in letter and spirit to prevent any untoward incidents. Published in The NEWS on November 15, 2025.
ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives on Friday informed the National Assembly during the Question Hour that Pakistan has been ranked very low on the UNDP Human Development Index (HDI), placing 168th out of 193 countries. Pakistan was ranked 161 in 2020–21 and 164 in the HDI Report 2023–24. In the latest 2025 report, the country has slipped further to 168th. In a written reply to a question by Dr Shazia
LAHORE: The police failed to recover two minor sisters studying in Class VI and a young woman, who were allegedly abducted in two separate incidents occurring in different areas. As per the parents of the two minor sisters, the girls were going to school on November 13 when they were allegedly abducted in Manga Mandi area. The incident has caused serious concern among all the parents regarding the security of their school-going daughters as
RAWALPINDI: Following the new wave of terrorism and the recent suicide attack in Islamabad, the strictest security directives have been issued for all public and private colleges, universities, schools, and government educational institutions across the Rawalpindi division. Armed security guards have been declared mandatory for every university, college, and school. First aid, rescue, scouts, and girls guides training has been made compulsory for students of universities, colleges, and high schools. The Civil Defence Department
Sindh’s educational boards are set to recieve e-marking, scanning, and QR code software for matriculation and intermediate examinations. The official launch of e-marking system will take place on December 4 in Karachi, where heads of 29 educational boards from across the country and officials from the Inter-Board Committee of Chairmen (IBCC) will be in attendance. The Federal Education Board will provide the Sindh educational boards with software related to e-marking, scanning, barcode, QR codes,
HYDERABAD: The Sindh School Education and Literacy Department has issued show-cause notices to headmasters of 15 government schools in Hyderabad, demanding explanations for alleged misuse of school-specific budget (SSB) funds during the current fiscal year 2025-26, up to October 30, 2025. The department has directed the concerned officials to respond within seven days, clarifying why disciplinary action should not be initiated under the Efficiency and Discipline (E&D) rules for violating budgetary protocols. The notices
WORLD Diabetes Day arrives as new research sheds light on the extent of discrimination Pakistanis living with diabetes encounter — including children who will eventually become part of a workforce unprepared to support them. The International Diabetes Federation’s latest survey, placing Pakistan at the top of global workplace bias, should alarm policymakers. That 68pc of employees with diabetes report negative treatment at work makes it not just a workplace issue, but a public health
BAJAUR: Students of various government schools in the far-flung Arang and Barang areas on November 13 complained about the shortage of teachers and basic facilities in their institutions, saying the situation is adversely affecting their learning. The students of Government Middle School for Boys Seri Sar Arang, Government Primary School for Boys Seri Sar, Government Primary School for Boys Nakhtar Targaoo Barang and Government Primary School for Boys Rag Majal Barang tehsil, have formally
KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has said education remains the foundation of the province’s future and his government is investing heavily in schools and colleges so that every child, boy or girl, has access to a safe, modern and inclusive learning environment. He said this while chairing a meeting held to review the progress of the Education Department’s development portfolio, covering both the School Education and Literacy Department (SELD) and College Education
Floods Cause Over 1,000 Deaths and Widespread Damage Across Pakistan, NA Told ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly was informed by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) that recent floods and urban flooding across Pakistan caused: 1,037 deaths 1,067 injuries 229,763 damaged houses 22,841 livestock losses The PMO shared this information in a written reply to MNA Huma Akhtar Chugtai. Provincial Breakdown of Fatalities Region Total Males Females Children Punjab 332 155 53 124 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 599
SWABI: A couple and their two-year-old son were killed, and a minor daughter was critically injured when their rivals opened fire on them in Maneri Bala union council here on the night of November 12, the police and rescue officials said. The incident occurred in Azad Kashmir village, and a rescue team shifted the bodies and the injured to the District Headquarters Hospital. The doctors said that condition of the minor girl was critical.