The National Commission on the Rights of Child (NCRC) advanced major child protection reforms in 2024–2025, including the drafting of the Prohibition of Child Labour in Domestic Work Bill 2024 and advocacy for harmonizing the minimum marriage age at 18 years across all provinces. The Commission launched the State of Children in Pakistan Report 2024 and its digital State of Children Portal to support evidence-based policymaking. Key achievements included removing the mandatory Form-B requirement
Child Rights in Focus
The brick kiln industry in Pakistan continues to violate human rights, deeply affecting vulnerable groups such as women and children through bonded labour and exploitation. Despite legal measures and international commitments, these abuses persist, especially in Punjab, which has more than half of Pakistan’s brick kilns and around 186,000 workers. This report builds on a previous study by the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) and examines the patterns of abuse within Punjab’s brick
KARACHI: From the age of 10, Amina has been scrubbing, sweeping and cooking in a middle-class home in Karachi. Like millions of children, she is a household helper, an illegal but common practice that brings grief to families often too poor to seek justice. “Alongside my mother, I cut vegetables, wash dishes, sweep the floor and mop. I hate working for this family,” said the 13-year-old, who leaves her slum neighbourhood at 7am and
The Sindh government has introduced a new technology-based system to monitor student attendance and address complaints in public schools. The initiative – Student Attendance Monitoring System (SAMRS) – was launched during a meeting chaired by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on October 14. The meeting was attended by Education Minister Syed Sardar Shah, Chief Secretary Syed Asif Hyder Shah, and other senior officials. Speaking at the meeting, the chief minister said the
An abduction FIR was registered at Preedy Police Station on October 14 after two sisters went missing from a madrassa near Abdullah Haroon Road under mysterious circumstances last weekend. The complainant, Muhammad Azeem Akhtar, has accused a school teacher of abducting his daughters. The girls, Amna, 15, and Ayesha, 7, live with him in Allah Wali Colony, a settlement on Abdullah Haroon Road, Akhtar told the police. The girls had gone to the nearby
KARACHI: The unchecked rise in the stray dog population has made life increasingly unbearable for citizens across Karachi, with frequent attacks causing injuries, deaths and widespread fear in various localities of the metropolis. It has become a common sight to see packs of dogs roaming freely in the streets of the city, often hounding passers-by, particularly children and women, and motorcyclists. While cases of dog bites are becoming increasingly common, around two dozen people
LOWER DIR: Dir Qaumi Pasoon (DQP), a body of elders working for peace and harmony, on October 12 rejected the government’s decision to privatise public educational institutions and hospitals, terming it against the public interest and demanding its immediate withdrawal. The demand was made during a seminar titled“Education and Health Protection”organised by DQP at a local hotel. The event was attended by teachers, doctors, students, civil society members and representatives of political and social
RAWALPINDI: Police have chalked out a security plan for the polio vaccination teams during the immunization campaign from Oct 13 to 19 in the federal capital territory. According to sources, a special security order has been issued for the national polio vaccination campaign starting from October 13. The security plan was chalked out to protect life of polio teams, and security against terrorist acts. In line with the security arrangements, a total of 285
ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly has underscored the collective responsibility of lawmakers to ensure a safe and nurturing environment for every child in Pakistan. The call was made during a session of the Parliamentary Caucus on Child Rights (PCCR) at the Parliament House on October 12. The meeting, chaired by PCCR Convener and Parliamentary Secretary for Science and Technology Dr Nikhat Shakeel Khan, deliberated on the alarming rise in child abuse cases across Pakistan. It
The All Pakistan Private Schools Association has announced that all educational institutions in the Rawalpindi district will reopen on October 13 as per routine, following several days of disruption due to Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan protests in the twin cities. In a joint declaration, the three major private school organisations confirmed the decision to resume classes across private institutions. President of the All Pakistan Private Schools Management Association (APPSMA) Punjab chapter, Abidar Ahmad Khan, also confirmed
TAXILA: The body of a newborn was recovered from a garbage dump near Christian hospital in the jurisdiction of Taxila police station on October 12. According to police, some scavengers informed the local shopkeepers about the presence of the body of a wrapped newborn in the dumpster near a street adjacent to the hospital. On getting information, a police party reached there and shifted the body to tehsil headquarters hospital for autopsy. “The body
LAHORE: Dr Omar Masud, the CEO of Urban Unit, says that the air quality data of monitoring sensors can make a real impact if its integrated in policymaking. He was speaking at the session “Developing a National Air Quality Management Framework for Pakistan” during The Air We Breathe conference, organized by Dawn Media on October 11. He said Urban Unit was collecting air quality data from its sensors from across Pakistan. To a question,