LOWER DIR: An additional sessions judge in Samarbagh on Monday convicted a man in a high-profile child rape and murder case, sentencing him to double life imprisonment, and slapping him with fines on multiple charges. Judge Ijaz Younas found Neuz Ali, a resident of Bannu, and currently residing in Khazana area, guilty of raping and murdering a six-year-old girl in January last year. The FIR of the case was registered at Munda police station
Child Rights in Focus
RAWALPINDI: A teenage boy was murdered after allegedly being sexually abused in Fauji Colony area of Pirwadhai on September 29. A sharp-edged weapon was apparently used to kill the boy. The deceased’s father alleged that the killer murdered his son in order to cover up his sexual abuse of him. Mohammad Yunas Khan lodged an FIR with the police stating that his 15-year-old son was a madressah student and living with his aunt. He
SAHIWAL: The additional district and sessions judge (ADSJ) and presiding officer of the Child Protection Court, Sahiwal, has directed the Child Protection and Welfare Bureau (CPWB) to hand over custody of 17 minor children to their parents/guardians following due verification and recognition of the petitioners by the child. The judge further instructed that custody be granted if the child’s identification satisfies the court, and proceedings should continue in accordance with the law. This order
ISLAMABAD: The Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) has, through its nutrition initiative, reduced child stunting by 6.4 percent in target populations, according to a report. According to a midterm independent evaluation by the Aga Khan University (AKU)’s Institute for Global Health and Development, stunting among children under five declined by 6.4 per cent among Nashonuma beneficiaries compared to non-beneficiaries. The prevalence of low birth weight decreased by 5.6 percent in intervention districts. Most notably,
GUJRAT: Police have reportedly detained both nominated suspects– a teacher and his son– who allegedly tortured a five-year-old student to death at a seminary at Karariwala Kalan village in Kharian Saddar police precincts. The suspects — a seminary teacher, Hafiz Qari Arfan of Miana Gondal village of Mandi Bahauddin and his son Fayaz — had allegedly subjected the minor, Eesa, to a severe physical torture with sticks and kicks, resulting in the boy’s death
PESHAWAR: The number of children remaining unvaccinated due to parental refusal has come down in the recent immunisation drive compared to the previous campaign, data shows. The five-day vaccination effort in May conducted by Emergency Operation Centre, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, recorded 17,136 children without getting oral polio vaccine (OPV), mostly due to parents’ reluctance due to misconception that the drops were not allowed in Islam or on the pretext that those were designed by western countries to
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has sought a detailed report from the Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (Peira) on whether elite private schools in the capital are complying with their statutory obligation to provide free education to underprivileged children. The court issued the directive during the hearing of a petition highlighting non-implementation of the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2012. Justice Raja Inaam Ameen Minhas asked Peira to file a comprehensive
SHANGLA: A 12-year-old married girl ended her life by consuming poisonous substances in Damorai area here the other day. The deceased was married to her 10-year-old cousin six months ago. According to Shangla police spokesperson Umar Rehman, the incident occurred in the limits of Olandar police station in Damorai where the girl allegedly consumed poisonous substances and breathed her last. He said when the police team visited her home her mother was reluctant to
SAHIWAL: As the Child Protection and Welfare Bureau is set to produce 18 children recovered from an orphanage in Chichawatni city at a local court on Monday (29 Sep), certain questions remain unanswered regarding their origin and circumstances as 17 of them belong to Balochistan. They are under 8-10 age bracket. An illegal facility housing the children under the title of Ahmed Welfare Foundation has sparked serious concerns about the children’s welfare, the source
A team of female health workers was attacked on September 27 while administering vaccines against the human papillomavirus (HPV) in Punjab’s Mandi Bahauddin district, the second such incident in three days. The HPV vaccine, first launched in Pakistan in 2022, has now been rolled out nationwide as part of the routine immunisation programme to protect adolescent girls against cervical cancer. However, vaccine hesitancy in Pakistan remains a major public health challenge, driven by a mix of misinformation, safety
KARACHI: Two young girls, allegedly trafficked to the metropolis under the guise of job opportunities and later sold into prostitution, have been rescued and shifted to a shelter home after being taken into protective custody by police. According to PS Airport Head Moharrar Zaheer, the victims — a 19-year-old girl from Faisalabad and a 17-year-old from Okara — approached Special Security Unit (SSU) personnel near airport on Sept 26, claiming that they were being sold by
KARACHI: There has been a sharp surge in cases of cold, cough, and fever, as the seasonal influenza virus begins to spread rapidly in the metropolitan city. Both government hospitals and private clinics are witnessing a spike in patients, with vulnerable groups such as elderly citizens, young children, pregnant women, and those with respiratory ailments being the most affected. Medical experts have warned that the current strain of the influenza virus, identified as H1N1,