ISLAMABAD: Four Pakistani hospitals are finalising preparations to receive free childhood cancer medicines before the end of 2026 under an agreement between Pakistan and the World Health Organization (WHO), said a press release issued here on Thursday. The initiative, implemented through the Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines, aims to improve access to quality treatment for children affected by cancer in Pakistan, where more than 8,000 new cases are diagnosed each year.
Child Rights in Focus
DI KHAN In a landmark ruling, Additional Sessions Judge (Child Protection Court/GBV) Rafiullah has convicted and sentenced Muhammad Ubaidur Rahman son of Faizur Rahman to rigorous punishment for the brutal rape of an 8-year-old girl in October 2023. The incident occurred within the jurisdiction of Daraban police station. The accused allegedly abducted the minor girl while she was on her way to the market, took her to his sitting room, and subjected her to
LAKKI MARWAT: Eight minor boys were injured in a quadcopter strike in Takhti area here on 12 February, police said. They said the terrorists targeted a football ground in the remote rural area with explosives that were dropped from a quadcopter. “The explosion resulted in inflicting injuries to eight minor boys who were playing there,” he claimed. He identified the injured boys as Qudratullah, Ejaz, Abu Bakkar, Maaz, Ahmad, Zafran, Hussain and Shah Suleman
WHEN I look back on my years of education — K-12 to university — and across cultures, and think of the good or outstanding teachers I had — and I did have some — among the many traits of such teachers, the one I find seldom talked about is their sense of humour. Without exception, all the teachers I remember as having a positive impact on me and my learning had a keen sense
SUKKUR: A large number of villagers, including children, staged a demonstration on Feb 12 against police excesses and the alleged forced disappearance of two young boys from the village of Ali Muhammad Pitafi in Khanpur Mahar, Ghotki District. In the lead of Ahmed Ali Pitafi, Ghulam Rasool, Raza Muhammad Pitafi and others, the protesters raised slogans against the police, accusing them of harassment and creating an atmosphere of fear in the region. The protesters
BARA: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi on Feb 11 formally inaugurated the reconstruction and rehabilitation of 50 schools devastated by terrorism in the Bara area of Khyber tribal district, alongside the opening of a seven-kilometer bypass road. The projects, completed with Chinese financial and technical assistance, mark a significant step toward restoring education and improving infrastructure in a region long scarred by terrorism. Funded at a total cost of Rs3.21 billion, the school
RAWALPINDI: The body of a 14-year-old boy, who went missing from Lower Dewal village in Murree, has been recovered. The boy was brutally murdered and confirmation of alleged sexual assault will be determined after the post-mortem report. Police stated that 14-year-old Abdul Moeed was sent by his father to buy cigarettes from a shop at around 12pm on February 10, but he never returned home. After an extensive search, the family contacted police, who
KARACHI: Matriculation examinations across Karachi and the rest of Sindh will begin on March 31, while annual intermediate examinations will commence on April 15, following a decision approved on Thursday by the Sindh Education Department’s Steering Committee. The decision was taken during a meeting of the Steering Committee chaired by Sindh Education Minister Sardar Ali Shah. The committee agreed that the annual examinations for classes IX and X would be held after Eid, starting
KARACHI: A teenage boy murdered his stepmother in Landhi after he did not get a meal on time, police said on Wednesday. Quaidabad SHO Mohammed Ali Shah told Dawn that 15-year-old Jamal Muhammad was arrested on the complaint of his father for stabbing Perveen, 56, to death in their Sherpao home. He said the incident took place on Tuesday and the suspect ‘confessed’ to have committed the murder in a fit of rage after
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Feb 11 issued notices to the federal government, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra), seeking a comprehensive report by March 3 on measures to regulate minors’ access to social media. Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir directed the respondents to submit para-wise comments highlighting age-verification mechanisms, progress on establishing the Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority, draft regulatory measures and enforcement steps against non-compliant
LAHORE: Child marriage is now a non-bailable crime in Punjab, with offenders facing up to seven years in prison and Rs1 million fine under a sweeping new ordinance promulgated by Punjab Governor Saleem Haider Khan here on Wednesday. Issued as the Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Ordinance 2026, the law comes into immediate effect across the province, replacing the nearly century-old Child Marriage Restraint Act of 1929. Promulgated under Article 128(1) of the Constitution while
RAWALPINDI: All education boards have increased the fee charged to students for the installation of CCTV cameras at examination centres from Rs30 to Rs1,030 for the Intermediate annual examinations scheduled for May 2026. The fee has been added to the examination entry charges, leaving students and parents alarmed by the sudden and steep increase. Previously, for the Matriculation annual examinations, students were charged Rs30 each for CCTV installation. The sharp rise to Rs1,030 for