Rawalpindi: The dengue spread in Rawalpindi district has started taking shape of an outbreak as in the last 24 hours, another 20 individuals have tested positive for the infection that is the highest number of dengue cases reported in a day from the district this year so far. Data collected by ‘The News’ on September 10 has revealed that the confirmation of another 20 patients positive for dengue fever has taken the total number
Child Rights in Focus
Thalassemia Carriers Passing Disease To Children
September 11, 2025
PESHAWAR: Chairman of Frontier Foundation, Sahibzada Muhammad Haleem, has said that a lack of awareness about genetic diseases, delayed and limited access to screening and treatment, and the high rate of consanguineous marriages significantly increase the risk of thalassemia and other hereditary disorders. He said that eliminating thalassemia, a genetic blood disorder, was their mission to protect future generations, said a press release. Speaking during a meeting with parents of children suffering from thalassemia,
Forest Vision to 2050 Launched in Punjab To ‘Counter Climate-change’
September 11, 2025
Punjab has begun formulating its long-term Forest Vision 2050, aiming to prioritise forest conservation and ecological balance rather than treating forests solely as a source of timber. The initiative seeks to make forests a central pillar in tackling climate change and strengthening ecological resilience. To draft this vision, the Punjab Forest Department has partnered with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which organised a two-day planning workshop in Lahore. The event brought
Regional Climate Risks
September 11, 2025
WE in South Asia are the children of the monsoon, as described by David Jiménez in his 2008 book. While governments may not always recognise it, we are bound by an ecosystem that inextricably links our resilience through shared climate realities from one end of South Asia to the other. Shared ecosystems 1) Rivers: The Indus River system serves as a central artery for India and Pakistan, comprising six major tributaries: eastern (Beas, Ravi, Sutlej) and western
Heavy Rains Trigger Urban Flooding in Hyd
September 11, 2025
HYDERABAD: Torrential monsoon rains lashed Hyderabad and several other districts across Sindh on September 8 and 9, bringing life to a standstill in many areas due to urban flooding, prolonged power outages, and damaged infrastructure. While Hyderabad bore the brunt of the downpour, conflicting rainfall data from local authorities and the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has raised questions regarding reporting accuracy. According to figures released by local authorities, Latifabad taluka received a staggering 280mm
US Woman Moves IHC to Recover Sons Brought to Pakistan by Husband
September 11, 2025
A US citizen of Pakistani origin has approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking help to trace her husband and two minor children, who were allegedly brought to Pakistan instead of being taken for Umrah. The petitioner, Ghulam Ghausia Akhunzada, told the court that she married Taxila resident Muhammad Owais Tariq in January 2014. After their marriage, Tariq settled in the United States, where the couple had two sons — Arham, 8, and Haider,
Govt Declares Climate, Agriculture Emergencies after Flood Devastation
September 11, 2025
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced the enforcement of climate and agriculture emergencies across Pakistan in response to heavy monsoon rains and widespread flooding that have devastated the country. The decision was approved during a federal cabinet meeting in Islamabad on 10 September . Shehbaz warned that recent monsoon rains and floods had caused widespread destruction, killing over 900 people, displacing thousands and submerging vast tracts of farmland. Addressing the cabinet, he said assessments
Karachi Rains All Night
September 10, 2025
Karachi was lashed by heavy downpours as the second wave of monsoon rains hit the city, with Surjani Town receiving the highest rainfall at 129.8mm over the past 24 hours. According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), Gulshan-e-Maymar (Jamia Rasheed) recorded 93.1mm, DHA Phase VII 90mm, and North Karachi 72.2mm. Other areas also saw significant showers, including Gulshan-e-Hadeed (69mm), Nazimabad (54mm), Korangi (55mm), Orangi Town (47.2mm), Saadi Town (55.1mm), Kemari (52.2mm), Jinnah Terminal (53mm),
Two Arrested In Boy Murder Case
September 10, 2025
CHAKDARRA: Police arrested two teenage boys for their alleged involvement in the brutal murder of a seven-year-old child in Badwan here, officials said on 09 September. District Police Officer (DPO) Abdul Salam Khalid said the child, identified as Aafnan, went missing from Toro Gato village and was later found dead in a nearby hilly area. A special investigation team was formed to probe the case, he said adding the DNA samples were sent to
Daycare Centre Opens at BKU
September 10, 2025
CHARSADDA: A Daycare Centre was inaugurated on September 09 at Bacha Khan University, Charsadda. Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Khan Alam cut the ribbon to mark the opening of the facility. The faculty members, administrative officers, and students attended the ceremony. The vice chancellor said that the establishment of the Daycare Centre was a landmark step for the university faculty and staff. He noted that its purpose was to provide peace of mind to parents
Moot Highlights Importance Of HPV Vaccination For Cervical Cancer
September 10, 2025
LAHORE:A provincial advocacy seminar on eliminating cervical cancer through the introduction of the HPV vaccine in Punjab was held in Lahore under the aegis of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) Punjab in collaboration with UNICEF. The seminar, chaired by Dr Samra Khurram, Director EPI Punjab, was attended by senior health experts, representatives of the School Education and Auqaf Departments, medical associations, religious scholars, private school federations, and development partners. A large number of
Another 66 Test Positive For Dengue
September 10, 2025
Rawalpindi: As many as 66 individuals have tested positive for dengue fever from Rawalpindi district alone in the last five days hinting towards a possible outbreak in the next few days as the total number of confirmed dengue fever patients so far registered from the district has reached 244 apart from nearly a 100 confirmed patients reported from Murree. Data collected by ‘The News’ on September 09 revealed that the number of patients being