• Contrary to official figures of 33 deaths from dengue and malaria, data from four major hospitals in Karachi and Hyderabad paint a much grimmer picture • 83 deaths occurred at hospitals in Karachi • Prompt diagnosis and treatment are recommended to prevent complications and mortality KARACHI: As many as 103 people died from mosquitoborne diseases across Sindh during 2025, with 23 of them losing their lives at a Karachi hospital due to malaria,
Child Rights in Focus
A few days ago, I watched a boy no older than 10 or 12 dragging a sack of garbage larger than his own body. He was doing what thousands of children across Pakistan do every day, collecting recyclable waste to earn a living. Suddenly, several street dogs began barking. Moments later, they chased him. The boy ran, clutching his bag, disappearing into a narrow alley. No one intervened. The street returned to normal. For
LAHORE: Thousands of students across Punjab continue to attend classes in structurally unsafe school buildings despite repeated warnings from officials, audit reports and education experts, raising concerns about student safety as cold weather intensifies across the province. According to official assessments, a significant number of government schools are operating in buildings declared either dangerous or in urgent need of major repairs. Education department sources say nearly one-quarter of surveyed schools across Punjab require immediate
Islamabad: Leading child rights groups, public health experts and national civil society networks have strongly opposed the government’s proposal to make standards for nicotine-containing, tobacco-free oral products mandatory. They warn that the move could normalise nicotine use, endangering children and undermining public health priorities. The opposition comes from the Child Rights Movement (CRM), Syed Ishtiaq Gilani of the National Action and Coordination Group (NACG), SAIEVAC’s Civil Society Mechanism, the All Pakistan NGOs Alliance (APNA),
ISLAMABAD: Senators on Friday called for keeping tabs on the use of social media platforms by children under 18, with the chair proposing a special committee to develop safeguards in consultation with relevant ministries. The issue was raised through a calling-attention notice moved by Senators Falak Naz, Fawzia Arshad, Aimal Wali Khan, Saadia Abbasi and Dilawar Khan. Presiding over the sitting, Senator Sherry Rehman said some checks were needed and suggested forming a special
ISLAMABAD: The Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (Peira) on Friday told schools that they can’t increase their fee by more than five per cent annually. “Today, we held a meeting with schools and asked them that no school can raise fee more than eight per cent. Schools are bound to increase only five per cent, in special cases, after showing their expenditure sheet, schools can increase further 3pc…but no school in any case can
Rawalpindi: The Rawalpindi Police conducted an awareness walk on January 16 to highlight the hazards of kite flying and aerial firing, and to educate the public on the legal consequences of such activities. The walk, launched on the special instructions of City Police Officer (CPO) Syed Khalid Hamdani, took place across areas under Race Course and R. A. Bazaar police station limits. A large number of citizens attended, including Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP)
Islamabad: Dr Abrar Hussain Malik, Central President of the All Pakistan Private Schools & Colleges Association (APPSCA), has urged authorities to notify schools at least three working days before inspections and to ensure registration and renewal certificates are issued on time. An APPSCA delegation, led by Dr Abrar, met Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (PEIRA) Chairman Dr Ghulam Ali Mallah and submitted their demands highlighting administrative, legal and operational challenges faced by private schools.
KARACHI: Amid growing incidents of dog-bite in the metropolis, residents of Ittehad Town’s Qaimkhani Colony and Nawab Colony continue to live in constant fear due to the growing menace of stray canines in the area. The situation has become particularly alarming for women and children, as several minors have been attacked and injured in separate incidents over the past few days. According to local sources, packs of stray dogs roam freely in the neighbourhoods,
BAHAWALPUR: A horrifying case of grave desecration has shaken Bahawalpur after the body of a 16-year-old girl was exhumed and desecrated in the suburban area of Inayati. Police said the prime suspect, a self-styled practitioner of black magic, was later killed during a police encounter, while his accomplices remain at large. The victim, Ramsha Bibi, had died after suffering an electric shock and was buried in a local graveyard on Sunday evening. However, when
A three-year-old boy who was abducted from Al-Fatah Family Park in Karachi’s North Nazimabad on January 11 was safely recovered late at night on 15 January, bringing relief and joy to his family. According to officials, DSP Kamal Naseem, who had been appointed by DIG West to lead the police team tasked with recovering the child, stepped down from his position after the successful operation. Naseem was among five DSPs previously removed from their
ISLAMABAD: A clinical psychiatrist has urged society to rethink its approach to bullying and called on parents to play an active role in preventing peer victimisation in schools, warning that the issue severely impacts adolescents’ emotional well-being, social development and academic performance. Speaking to a local media channel, renowned clinical psychiatrist Dr Sana Farooq highlighted the alarming rise in bullying and peer victimisation among school-going adolescents, describing it as a growing public health concern