FAISALABAD: A total of 97 women and girls were subjected to gang-rape across Faisalabad district during the first 11 months of the current year, yet not a single accused was convicted in court, official statistics show. The number of gang-rape cases registered in 2024 was 80. During the current year, 97 gang-rape cases were reported in Faisalabad district. Of these, 12 cases were registered in Lyallpur Town, 23 in Iqbal Town Division, 27 in
Child Rights in Focus
KARACHI: Sindh faces a complex nutrition crisis driven by persistently high acute malnutrition, weak health-system capacity and recurring climate shocks that deepen food insecurity. The aftermath of the 2022 floods continues to strain services, while gaps in screening, referral, and treatment leave many Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) and Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM) cases undetected or unmanaged. These points were highlighted at the closeout event of an EU-funded project — Strengthening local civil society and
KARACHI/LARKANA: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has called for breaking ingrained biases, stressing that true inclusion of Persons with Disabilities requires a cultural shift to eradicate attitudinal barriers. He said this while speaking at a programme held to mark International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The event was organised by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPD) at Al-Noor Park, Clifton. It highlighted the Sindh government’s dedication to transforming global
KARACHI: A district court on December 3 issued notices to the Karachi mayor, managing director of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation, Gulshan Town chairman and Red Line contractor on an application seeking registration of a case against them over their alleged negligence in the tragic death of a three-year-old boy. The district and sessions judge (East) directed the proposed accused persons to file their comments/report till Dec 11. Citing the SHO of Aziz Bhatti
LAHORE: In a ruling highlighting the importance of a child’s welfare and intelligent preference, the Lahore High Court (LHC) has set aside the orders of two subordinate courts and allowed adoptive parents to retain custody of a 13-year-old minor boy. Justice Faisal Zaman Khan observed that the lower courts erred in law by ignoring the unequivocal desire of the minor to continue living with the petitioners (foster parents), who he has known as his
ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Religious Affairs Kesoo Mal Kheal Das on December 4 informed the Senate that the Sindh government had taken prompt notice of the reported incident at Mirpur Sakro Girls High School involving allegations of pressuring non-Muslim students to convert to Islam. Responding to a calling attention notice moved by Senator Danesh Kumar, the minister said the affected family had raised the issue through a press conference, alleging that the school
LAHORE: The Punjab government’s decision to change the school curriculum has triggered strong opposition from publishers, who warned that the move would financially damage the publishing industry and disrupt the supply of textbooks for the upcoming academic session. The Punjab government had formed the Punjab Education, Curriculum, Training and Assessments Authority (PECTAA) to overhaul the education system by merging three key departments to streamline educational reforms. The PECTAA is replacing the Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board,
KHYBER: Lack of awareness and lackluster response from the health authorities is resulting in rapid spread of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (Aids) among residents in different parts of Khyber, health experts told Dawn on December 2. They said Khyber district with 313 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cases was second after North Waziristan, which tops the list with 383 cases out of the total 1,488 in all the seven merged districts. Ironically no official function or an
ISLAMABAD: Experts at the concluding session of the Population Summit on December 2 said rampant population growth has remained a least priority issue of successive governments as they always focused on their own projection and opposition bashing. Former information and culture minister Mushahid Hussain Sayed, in his keynote address, said governments usually followed three Ps: politics, patronage and propaganda, ignoring major issues and brunt their energies on opposition bashing. In this context, the role
PESHAWAR: Health department has vaccinated 96 percent of the target children against measles-rubella during the 12-day campaign in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to officials. They said that 25 children had died of measles, one of the 12 vaccine-preventable childhood diseases, in the province so far, mostly because of non-vaccination. The recent drive was a step towards protection of children from the ailment that was avoidable through vaccination, they added. Officials said that authorities were hopeful
Every morning, millions of children walk into schools across Pakistan with hopes, dreams and a desire to learn. Yet, behind these school walls, many face risks that threaten not only their education but their safety, dignity, and emotional well-being. Safeguarding our children in educational institutions is no longer just a policy debate; it is a moral obligation that demands urgent national attention. Article 25-A guarantees a child’s right to education. But education without safety
WASHINGTON: Children who are given smartphones before the age of 12 are more likely to develop certain health problems, researchers report. According to a piece published by the journal Pediatrics, kids studied at age 12 were at a 1.3 times higher risk of depression, a 1.6 times higher risk of insufficient sleep and a 1.4 times higher risk of obesity, compared with children who didn’t yet have smartphones. Researchers at Children’s Hospital Philadelphia, the