The Punjab (Pakistan) 2024 MICS Key Findings Report provides insights into the well-being of children, women, and households, based on data from 45,000+ households. Launched by the Bureau of Statistics (BoS) Punjab with UNICEF’s support, the report aids policy decisions and SDG progress monitoring. Officials highlighted its role in
A SIGNIFICANT number of children in Pakistan participate in waste-picking for economic survival. Our legal framework, unfortunately, is inadequate in this respect and unable to protect and rehabilitate the children. With rapid urbanisation and population growth, waste generation is growing, overwhelming municipal managements. An estimated 49.6 million tonnes
Poets and children have one thing in common; a sense of wonder. Albert Einstein would protest; don’t exclude the scientists. Their intuitive capability is an undying source of wonder that keeps them going in their pursuit of knowing what seems to be unknowable. With age this sense loosens
RAWALPINDI: A 12-year-old domestic worker, allegedly subjected to severe torture by her employer, succumbed to her injuries in Rawalpindi on February 12. Initial police investigations have revealed that the child suffered a deep head injury, with her skull fractured, which ultimately led to her death. The accused, identified
Childhood is a time of innocence, joy and learning. To quote Dave Pelzer, “Childhood should be carefree, playing in the sun; not living a nightmare in the darkness of the soul.” Sadly, for millions of Pakistani children, these formative years are clouded by the dark realities of child
Acknowledging a problem is the first step toward resolving it, and Sindh’s recognition of the alarming prevalence of child marriages and child labour is a necessary but overdue move. Figures recently revealed in the Sindh School Education and Literacy Department survey are just one of many studies conducted
The Policy Brief on the Employment of Children in Pakistan analyzes child labour laws and highlights Pakistan’s commitment to international conventions like the UNCRC and ILO. It differentiates between child work and child labour, emphasizing the latter’s harmful effects. The brief calls for uniform child labour laws post-18th
Child workers in Pakistan face abuse, exploitation, and neglect. Stricter laws and actions are essential The suffering of child workers, especially in domestic households, is a harsh reminder of society’s failure to protect its most vulnerable members. In Pakistan, many children face severe physical and mental abuse, with
Violence against children remains a widely prevalent scourge in Pakistan, despite the best efforts of activists and NGOs and several government interventions. While the country has a reasonable legal framework to safeguard children’s rights, local ‘culture’ and ‘traditions’ mean it is not uncommon to see well-kept child workers
KARACHI: Apropos the letter “Ghost Teachers” published on September 19, 2024, the issue of ghost schools is another sad reality in Pakistan’s education system. These schools exist only in name, with buildings left abandoned and teachers still collecting salaries without fulfilling their responsibilities. However, the problem goes beyond
CHILD begging, the ugliest form of child labour, is a curse on society. Ravaged by disease, crime, exploitation and drug abuse, hundreds of poor children populate Karachi’s intersections and street corners. The Sindh Child Protection Authority informed the Sindh Assembly recently that it was, in coordination with the
‘Under the Blaze’ presents a compelling tale of a child forced to trade his future for perilous conditions Rawalpindi. A child extends his skinny arms to place a warm, rust-coloured brick in a long line of freshly baked blocks laid out to dry under the blistering sun that