• 98,000 ATM cards prepared; 37 camps established for compensation distribution • 90pc of flood assessment survey completed; data of 463,000 victims verified by deputy commissioners BAHAWALPUR: The Punjab government has distributed Rs6.39 billion among flood-affected people across the province. The amount is part of the Rs100bn allocation made under the Punjab Chief Minister Flood Rehabilitation Programme. Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb made the announcement while addressing a ceremony to distribute ATM cards among the flood-hit people at
Child Rights in Focus
LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Health and Population Welfare Khwaja Imran Nazir has stirred up a controversy, raising a question mark on the existing environmental polio sampling process, and stressed upon the authorities for the introduction of legislation to find out the reasons as to why Pakistan has still not been able to completely eradicate the crippling disease despite decades-old efforts. Addressing a seminar organised by the Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) Punjab here on October
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on October 30 granted the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government an additional six months to implement its orders regarding the completion of reconstruction work on schools destroyed in the 2005 earthquake, directing the provincial authorities to submit a comprehensive progress report as well. A five-member constitutional bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Aminuddin Khan, heard the suo motu case concerning the poor condition of public schools in KP. During
Monsoons bring rain, which in turn bring floods and stagnant water. This in turn leads to lots of mosquitoes and the mosquitoes bring disease. This is about as close to an iron rule as one can get in Pakistan: monsoon season brings dengue and malaria season. This is particularly true when it comes to Sindh and Karachi. On Sunday, the Sindh Health Department released its latest report on confirmed dengue cases across the province,
RAWALPINDI: In the Gujar Khan area of Rawalpindi, a video showing a school teacher brutally beating a child has gone viral on social media, prompting police action. The accused teacher has been taken into custody. Authorities say the incident occurred nearly a year ago. According to police, the video shows a private school in the Gujar Khan jurisdiction where a person holding a stick is repeatedly striking a small child. Meanwhile, three to four
PESHAWAR: The elementary and secondary education department has decided to transform two higher secondary schools each for boys and girls at district level into centres of excellence (CoEs), with the objective to provide quality education by incorporating modern teaching methods. The proposed CoEs will have well-trained faculty, advanced technology and state-of-the-art infrastructure, according to elementary and secondary education secretary Mohammad Khalid. He told Dawn that the initiative emphasised academic excellence, character building, innovation and
ISLAMABAD: Parliamentary Task Force on Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) on October 29 voiced concern over the continued high rates of malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies among women and children. The task force had a consultation with key stakeholders regarding food fortification at Parliament House. The initiative is in line with Pakistan’s international development commitments specifically with Sustainable Development Goals which include: ending hunger, achieving food security and improved nutrition, and promoting sustainable agriculture. The consultation is
HYDERABAD: Market police have lodged a case against a professor of Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS) Jamshoro and several doctors of Liaquat University Hospital (LUH) Hyderabad under judicial orders passed on an application of Amir Lutuf Zardari about the death of his son Hasnain Zardari (17), who was suffering from dengue, due to the alleged negligence in the hospital. The case was lodged under Section 302 PPC vide crime No. 316/25 on
SOUTH WAZIRISTAN: Unidentified armed men on Oct 29 attacked a government high school in Azam Warsak area of Lower South Waziristan’s Birmal tehsil, looting valuable equipment and damaging the building. Locals said the attackers vandalised classrooms, damaged doors, windows and boundary wall. They said the assailants entered the school early in the morning and took away furniture, electrical equipment and other educational materials. The incident spread panic in the area, while parents expressed deep
KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) has observed that criminal networks are exploiting children, often through poverty, lack of education or coercion, and that stronger child protection laws and rehabilitation programmes are needed to combat it. A two-judge bench, headed by Justice Omar Sial, also remarked that the state has indeed failed to fulfil its obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and noted that if a child was involved in
KARACHI: A sessions court declined a bail plea of a teacher in a case pertaining to raping a 13-year-old boy on the roof of an academy located in District Central. The suspect had filed an application before Additional District and Session Judge (Central) Mirza Tauseef Ahmed and sought post-arrest bail in the case. After hearing the complainant’s counsel Abida Bibi and the defence side, the court rejected the plea and observed that there are
OVER the past two decades, Pakistan has faced several HIV eruptions and the ignominy of ranking second among nations with the sharpest rise in HIV cases in the Asia-Pacific region. Sadly, not even the scale of the crisis has spurred the government into action. The Sindh health minister has been told about the “extremely alarming” HIV spread, which includes 3,995 registered HIV positive children in the province and over 600,000 fake doctors; 40pc operate