I. Understanding child protection Child protection, as generally understood under various federal and provincial acts of Pakistan, refers to the prevention and response to violence, exploitation, abuse, and neglect experienced by children. It encompasses the systems, services, and legal mechanisms that are put in place to identify children at risk and intervene on their behalf. The concept of child protection is narrower than the broader concept of child rights. Child rights extend to survival,
Child Rights in Focus
KARACHI: A judicial magistrate on July 21 remanded two relatives in police custody, who were allegedly involved in the killing of a minor girl in Quaidabad last month. On June 24, three-year-old Kalsoom was kidnapped and later her body was found in a gunny bag just outside her residence in Muslimabad Colony. The investigating officer of the case brought the suspects — a male cousin and sister-in-law of the father of the deceased girl —
BAJAUR: Terrorists blew up a government school in War Mamund tehsil of Bajaur district on the night of July 20. Officials and residents told Dawn on July 21 that the incident took place in the Kharkai area within the limits of War Mamund police station. Residents said that unidentified miscreants entered the school and planted multiple explosive devices inside the building. They said the explosives went off with a bang, significantly damaging the building
Islamabad: The Pakistan Institute of Education (PIE), in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has officially launched the “Annual Statistical Report 2024-25” and the “Federal Non-Formal Education (NFE) Strategy 2025″ here on July 21 aimed at reintegrating out-of-school children into the educational fold. According to the report, 34,256 teachers are currently educating 1,238,573 children across 30,543 non-formal centers established nationwide. Notably, the appointment of 83% to 86% female teachers has successfully resulted
Police on July 21 claimed to have solved the murder of 16-year-old Urmesh, whose body was found inside a flat in the Keamari area on March 4, with the arrest of her former fiancé. According to investigating officers, the suspect, identified as Faizan, was arrested during a raid in the Jackson area. Initial investigations revealed that he was a close relative of the deceased and had previously been engaged to her. The police said
ISLAMABAD: The Shariat Appellate Bench of the Supreme Court has rejected an appeal against the death sentence of a convict involved in the rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl in Karachi’s Landhi area, while upholding the verdicts of trial court and the high court. A five-member Shariat Appellate Bench, headed by Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, heard the appeal. During the proceedings, the counsel for the convict argued that neither was his client’s DNA
LAHORE: A matriculation student and son of senior Daily Jang journalist Iqbal Nadeem, 16-year-old Saad Nadeem, was shot dead by two armed men on Canal Road in Harbanspura while he was travelling with his father on a motorcycle to attend a court hearing. According to the complaint, motorcycle-riding shooters Zubair Hassan and Niaz opened fire on Saad, seriously injuring him. He was rushed to hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds. The incident stemmed
• Tally rises to 94 as Sindh govt had earlier confirmed 78 cases at Valika Hospital • Ombudsman orders comprehensive audit of hospital’s affairs KARACHI: Sindh Ombudsman Mohammad Sohail Rajput was informed on July 21 that 16 more children were infected with HIV/AIDs at the Sindh Employees Social Security Institution (SESSI)-run Kulsoom Bai Valika Hospital. The ombudsman was hearing a case pertaining to an HIV outbreak at Valika Hospital, where the provincial government confirmed that 78
OKARA: A teenage boy suffered critical burn injuries after allegedly setting himself ablaze by sprinkling petrol over his body. He was shifted to Lahore for treatment after receiving initial medical care. The victim identified as Abu Bakr (17) was rescued by Rescue 1122 and taken to the South City DHQ Hospital. Owing to the severity of his injuries, he was later referred to the Sahiwal Teaching Hospital and shifted to a hospital in Lahore.
MAILSI: The Punjab Ombudsperson has taken strong notice of the alleged negligence of the Vehari Health Department and the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) in connection with the deaths of four children during a suspected measles outbreak last year, directing the Director General Health Services Punjab to complete disciplinary proceedings and make the findings of the official inquiry public. The case relates to a suspected measles outbreak in July 2025 in Mouza Sandhal, near
A two-year-old boy who was kidnapped from a private housing society within the jurisdiction of the Manghopir police station on July 18 was recovered safely from Gharo in Thatta district and reunited with his parents following a joint operation by Karachi and Thatta police. Speaking to reporters, SSP West Tariq Ilahi Mastoi said the child, identified as Azaan, son of Wahab Ali, was rescued during a coordinated operation after investigators traced ransom calls to
Researchers, government officials and Unicef representatives on July 20 warned that millions of Pakistani children remained vulnerable to lead poisoning and urged the media to highlight the largely overlooked public health threat and its preventable sources. The call came at a day-long media workshop organised by the Lead Exposure Elimination Project (LEEP) in collaboration with Unicef Pakistan and Commsman Consultants at the Karachi Press Club. More than 30 health and environment journalists from leading