Islamabad:The provincial governments of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh have pledged to continue reforms on addressing child marriage, birth registration, child protection, gender-based violence (GBV) and social inclusion. The UK’s Aawaz II programme, which started in 2017, has supported pilots such as the Anti-Rape Crisis Cells, District Child Protection Units and Women Protection Centres (WPC) which the provincial governments are now using as models to scale and expand. The innovative digital birth registration model,
Child Rights in Focus
ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Health Dr Mukhtar Bharat on October 21 claimed that the government would take all possible steps to devise a policy to improve child nutrition and maternal health. Addressing an awareness seminar on the harms of formula milk, Dr Bharat said formula milk had negative impacts and urged media to play a role in creating public awareness on this important issue. “Formula milk does not contain the same nutrients as
CHINIOT: The district education officer (DEO) suspended from service the headmistress, a teacher and a watchman of the Government Model Primary School, Chah Bootianwala, for allowing a wedding function at the school, where transpersons allegedly performed “obscene” dances. Taking action on a footage of the wedding event surfacing on social media, Elementary Education DEO Ms Khadeeja Bokhari suspended from service Headmistress Muqaddas Iqbal, teacher Samina Batool and watchman Syed Ali Raza. In their suspension
PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mohammad Sohail Afridi has instructed elected representatives and the information department to scale up awareness about preventive measures regarding Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever as the mosquito-borne ailment infected 63 more people, increasing the number of patients in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to 3,792. Officials said that the chief minister issued the order during a meeting. They said that the meeting was attended by Health Secretary Shahidullah Khan, Director-General Health Services Dr Shahid Yunis and
The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency Islamabad, in collaboration with Australian police, Interpol, and other international agencies, has achieved a major breakthrough in its investigation into child exploitation crimes, successfully dismantling an international network involved in the production and distribution of child abuse materials. According to officials, the agency arrested a key suspect and formally filed charges following joint operations codenamed “Roads” and “Iceberg.” These operations were based on intelligence and reports shared by
Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat has enrolled his son in a government school in Kasur, where he studies alongside the children of school staff and teachers, signaling a commitment to public education reforms. Sharing the decision on X, Hayat emphasised the importance of equality in education. The announcement drew praise on social media, with many calling it an initiative of “leading by example”. “I am proud that my son studies alongside the children
Global health officials said polio eradication remains achievable despite a 30% budget cut, pledging to focus resources on high-risk areas and integrated vaccination efforts. The budget of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), a partnership including the World Health Organisation and the Gates Foundation, will take a 30% cut in 2026 and has a $1.7 billion funding gap up to 2029, the organisation said. The shortfall is largely driven by a global pullback from
KARACHI: An unemployed man, said to be suffering from financial problems, allegedly killed his two daughters in Block-G of North Nazimabad on October 21, police and rescuers said. They added that Akbar Sattar, around 50, killed Aliya, 15, and Zainab, nine, by cutting their necks with a knife at their home in Kausar Niazi Colony. The police arrested the suspect, seized the murder weapon and booked him in a murder case The officials stated
AS temperatures begin to drop, smog makes an unwelcome arrival in many parts of the country, particularly Lahore and urban Punjab. This health and climate crisis has been brewing for some years, while the state — nudged on by civil society and experts — has begun to take steps to combat the smog hazard. South Asian cities have some of the worst air on the planet, and many Pakistani urban centres are included in this unenviable
SARGODHA: Jhal Chakian police have arrested a doctor allegedly involved in brutal torture of a minor girl employed as a maid at his house in Lahore, after a video clip showing the victim’s plight surfaced on social media. According to Sarfraz, the father of the alleged victim, Hira (16), a resident of Mari village in Sargodha district, his daughter was employed as a maid at the house of Dr Umar Meikan, who also belongs
RAWALPINDI: Police signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Sir Syed Convent Higher Secondary School, Rawalpindi to provide quality education to the children of police officers/ officials. A spokesman for the RPO said that RPO Rawalpindi Region Babar Sarfraz Alpa signed a MoU with the Director of Sir Syed Convent Higher Secondary School and College Rawalpindi, Professor Dr Syed Naveed Hussain. The aim of the agreement is to provide quality education to the
ISLAMABAD: Lawmakers from across Pakistan have called for declaring rapid unsustainable population growth a national emergency and integrating population welfare into all development and policy frameworks. They emphasised that Pakistan’s progress depended on ensuring universal access to education, improving reproductive health services, and empowering local governments to deliver family welfare programs at the grassroots level. They were attending meeting of the Parliamentary Forum on Population, organised by Population Council, in collaboration with UNFPA. They urged that