MANSEHRA: The Upper Kohistan administration has directed all private educational institutions across the district to construct washrooms for students and staff within a month or face strict legal action. “We have served notices to all private schools and colleges in our district, directing them to ensure separate washroom facilities for students and teachers within the next 30 days. Failing to comply will lead to proceedings for suspension of their registration with the education department
Child Rights in Focus
PESHAWAR: A group of influencers comprising paediatricians, media professionals, religious scholars, political stalwarts and radio journalists pledged to push forward the national agenda of making Pakistan polio-free by promoting routine immunisation through their respective influencer networks under the guidance of Emergency Operation Centre (EOC), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A collaboration session of these community leaders was organised by EOC in partnership with Unicef. The session was attended by around 40 participants including provincial lawmakers Syed Qasim
MOHMAND: Girls wearing school uniforms blocked the main road in Ambar tehsil of Mohmand tribal district to protest prolonged absence of teachers and closure of their school here on Tuesday. The students accompanied by their parents staged the protest outside their primary school situated along Ambar road. The school has reportedly been non-functional for over two years owing to continuous absence of two teachers who, according to protesters, were drawing salaries without performing their
Religious minorities in Pakistan face structural discrimination and social exclusion that adversely affect their access to basic rights and services, including education, health, protection, and participation. Within these marginalized communities, children experience multiple layers of vulnerability due to poverty, social stigma, and institutional neglect. The situational analysis identifies that minority children—particularly those from Christian, Hindu, Sikh, and Kalash communities—often face discrimination in schools, harassment, exclusion from decision-making processes, and limited access to child protection
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
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