LAHORE: Railway stations across Pakistan are increasingly becoming refuge points for children fleeing troubled homes, as poverty, domestic tensions, corporal punishment, and the influence of social media push minors onto the streets. According to official data shared by Pakistan Railways Police, 658 children, including 413 boys and 245
Education is one of the most powerful tools for national development. It shapes individuals, builds nations and strengthens societies. A strong education system creates skilled human capital, promotes economic growth and develops a sense of equality and social justice. In Pakistan, however, education has been a subject of
Pakistan’s sixth and seventh periodic review before the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC), held in Geneva on January 15-16, 2026, marked an important moment of reflection and accountability, examining progress made since the previous review in 2016. More than a formal reporting obligation,
In Pakistan, like many countries across the globe, menstruation is perceived as a shameful and private matter that is not meant to be discussed openly. Due to this culture of shame and secrecy, adolescent girls in Pakistan often lack accurate knowledge and awareness regarding menstruation. According to Shah
The State of the World’s Children 2025 warns that global progress in reducing child poverty is slowing and risks reversal due to conflict, climate shocks, debt pressures and deep cuts in development aid. About 412 million children live in extreme monetary poverty, while 417 million face severe deprivation
Matriculation and intermediate examinations in Sindh have long been rampant with allegations of bribery-related corruption, mismanagement and thriving cheating networks. And it seems that the Sindh government is least bothered about reforms at a foundational level, instead engaging in rolling out modern initiatives that are akin to concealing
PAKISTAN’s education system has struggled to evolve beyond traditional patterns where reproduction is prioritised over the application of knowledge and skills. Thinkers such as John Dewey and Paulo Freire have long argued that education should connect classrooms with lived realities, and be outcome-oriented. An Outcome-Based Education system (OBE)
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
35-year-old Gul Rukh Bibi still remembers the silence that followed the birth of her eighth child: there were no congratulations, no whispered prayers, no relatives arriving with sweets. Only the quiet certainty that her life was about to change. Her husband had warned her months earlier that another
ONCE more, a girls’ school has been reduced to rubble in the Mirali tehsil of North Waziristan, and with it, the promise of an education for hundreds of children. The bombing of the only girls’ school in Eppi village, just days after another school was destroyed in the
Pakistan’s education system has long suffered from a chronic absence of structured career counselling, forcing students to make life-altering academic choices at the tender age of 14 or 15, often based on parental pressure, peer influence or sheer guesswork. Against this backdrop, the Inter Board Coordination Commission’s decision
Every morning, millions of children walk into schools across Pakistan with hopes, dreams and a desire to learn. Yet, behind these school walls, many face risks that threaten not only their education but their safety, dignity, and emotional well-being. Safeguarding our children in educational institutions is no longer