ISLAMABAD: The education ministry has decided to seek financial help from the community as well as support for non-formal education (NFE) schools of the capital city, which have been facing “persistent challenges, including limited infrastructure, scarce learning materials, inadequate hygiene facilities, and minimal teacher support.” According to the education ministry, there are 1,300 community schools in Islamabad with 1,700 teachers, which are offering non-formal education. These schools are being run by Basic Education Community
Child Rights in Focus
TOBA TEK SINGH: The change in the procedure for obtaining stamp papers, introduced by the Punjab Board of Revenue (BoR), is causing problems for the students under the age of 18 years who apply for domicile and provincial government scholarship. The BoR has changed the procedure, making it mandatory to enter registered mobile phone number of the applicant and a copy of his/her valid Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) for the issuance of stamp
LAHORE: Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat has directed textbook review committees to ensure error-free and high-quality publications, warning that delays or mistakes in textbooks will not be tolerated. Chairing a meeting of the committees, the minister said errors in curriculum can harm future generations and must be eliminated. He instructed that all textbooks undergo timely review and stressed that no excuses for delays will be accepted. For the first time, teachers from both
THE world’s battle against polio is stuck on a glass mountain. After 37 years and $22bn, the Independent Monitoring Board has declared that conventional strategies are running out of road. Its latest assessment, The Glass Mountain, places Pakistan centre stage. The country has reported 27 new cases this year — small in absolute terms, but large enough to confirm what the IMB calls “resurgence” in one of the last reservoirs of wild poliovirus. The board’s findings are
KARACHI: The Sindh Community Foundation (SCF) marked its 8th anniversary on September 19 with a dialogue on Sindh’s development pathways, bringing together academics, activists and civil society representatives under the theme “Discourse on Development Issues in Sindh: Challenges & Collaborative Avenues.” Speaking at the event, Dr Riaz Sheikh, Dean of Social Sciences at SZABIST, said peace remained central to sustainable development at both internal and regional levels. He noted that Public Sector Development Programme
HYDERABAD: Civil society representatives urged the Sindh government to strictly enforce the Child Marriage Restraint Act, warning that underage marriages remain rampant due to poor implementation. At a dialogue in Mirpurkhas, organised by the Hari Welfare Association, activists and officials expressed alarm over the persistence of the practice. The event also marked the launch of a district-level civil society forum focused on protecting child rights and preventing early marriages. Hari Welfare Association’s executive, Akram
KARACHI: Sindh Health and Population Welfare Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho has condemned a social media campaign spreading disinformation about the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, stressing that it prevents cervical cancer and is not a contraceptive. Speaking at the launch of a two-day vaccination camp at the Karachi Press Club, aimed at immunising daughters of press club members, she said 57 percent of Sindh’s 4.1 million girls aged between 9 and 14 have already
ISLAMABAD: A man accused of shooting dead a 17-year-old TikTok star at her home in the federal capital after she had repeatedly rejected his advances was formally indicted on September 20. Sana Yousaf’s murder in June drew nationwide condemnation and reignited debate over women’s safety, after some online comments — alongside condolences — blamed her for her own death. The 22-year-old accused, Umar Hayat, pleaded not guilty in Islamabad’s district and sessions court. “All the allegations
PESHAWAR: A writ petition has been filed in the Peshawar High Court (PHC) seeking immediate government action for the protection of children’s rights, which remain unimplemented despite the existence of multiple laws. The petition, filed by Dr Syed Akhtar Ali Shah, Chairman of the Good Governance Forum, requests the court to direct the government to rescue children forced into begging at traffic signals and those engaged in labour at workshops. The provincial government, Chairman
FAISALABAD: A man opened fire on his family, killing his wife and father and leaving his 12-year-old daughter critically injured in domestic quarrel on September 20. According to police, the incident took place in Chak 50-JB, Sathiala, in the jurisdiction of Nishatabad Police Station. The suspect, Sajjad Ahmad, shot his wife Shazia, 40, and daughter Tayyaba Noor, 12, during an argument. When his father, 65-year-old Ghulam Farid, tried to intervene, Sajjad also fired at
Seven-year-old Muhammad Aban, from a poor family and currently admitted to Benazir Children’s Hospital in Mardan (BCHM), longs to play with other children but is too weak due to complications from thalassaemia. Diagnosed when he was just 11 months old, he needs two to three blood transfusions every week to survive. His mother, Aneela Bibi, says he has spent much of his childhood in hospitals undergoing treatment. Aban’s 11-year-old elder brother also suffers from
LAHORE: A 15-year-old domestic worker died under mysterious circumstances at the house of a police official in Kahna. Local police officials said they were awaiting the medico-legal report before deciding their course of action in the case. The girl, was found hanging in the residence of Sub-Inspector Najaf Bhatti on September 17. While the police initially declared the death a suicide, the father of the deceased rejected the claim, alleging that his daughter had