GUJRAT, SEPT 30 /DNA/ – Participants of a training session for Nikah Khawans and marriage registrars, organized in collaboration with the District Population Welfare Office, Gujrat, called on provincial legislators to urgently strengthen legal frameworks to protect the rights of girls and boys in Pakistan. Referring to the ICT Child Marriage Restraint Act, the participants stressed that all provinces should adopt and implement similar legislation to curb the practice of underage marriages.

The training, which brought together a large number of Nikah Khawans and registrars, provided a platform to reflect on the social, legal, and health implications of early marriages. Many participants expressed concern that child marriage continues to undermine fundamental rights, particularly the right to education, health, and personal development.

Umer Farooq, District Population Welfare Officer, Gujrat, described child marriage as a serious health risk. He noted that due to complications such as fistula, sudden increases in blood pressure, and excessive bleeding during pregnancy and childbirth, the rates of maternal and infant mortality in Pakistan remain alarmingly high. These realities, he said, make it imperative to raise the minimum age of marriage for girls to 18 years.

Participants also called for the introduction of mandatory blood testing prior to marriage to protect future generations from chronic and life-threatening diseases, including thalassemia. They further emphasized the crucial role of Nikah Khawans in ensuring that marriages are contracted only with the free and informed consent of both adult individuals. They pointed out that while girls are often forced into marriage, boys too can face pressure from their families to marry at an early age, sometimes to protect family property.

Advocate Khawaja Zahid Nasim, legal consultant for PODA, said that under Articles 35 and 38 of the Constitution, all provinces are bound to make laws for the protection of the child, the mother, the family, and marriage. He noted with concern that despite the presence of these provisions, which safeguard the family setup and promote social justice, the provinces have not adequately addressed these constitutional obligations. He underlined the urgent need for consistent legislation across the country to protect the rights of children and families.

Discussions also touched on harmful practices that perpetuate child marriage. It was noted that in many rural and marginalized communities, families marry off their daughters to settle debts or resolve disputes, leaving the girls vulnerable to abuse and lifelong deprivation. The participants collectively committed not to solemnize underage marriages and endorsed the practice of requiring identity cards as a prerequisite for marriage registration. This, they observed, could serve as a practical step to verify the age of the bride and groom and thereby reduce the incidence of child marriages.

Participants further recommended that clear criteria be developed for the official appointment of Nikah Khawans, along with salaries, so that they can work independently and without local pressures. They also termed digital skills as essential for themselves to perform their duties effectively and transparently.

A consensus emerged that the minimum age of marriage for girls must be fixed at no less than 18 years across all provinces. Furthermore, participants urged that violations of such laws be treated as cognizable, non-bailable, and non-compoundable offences to ensure effective deterrence and accountability.

The training was conducted by Advocate Khawaja Zahid Nasim and facilitated by Nabeela Aslam and Sohail Yousaf. It was part of the project “Reduce Early Marriages to Enhance Gender Equality,” supported by the Norwegian Embassy in Islamabad and implemented by PODA across 41 districts of Punjab.

The discussions were framed in the light of national and global challenges linked to child marriage. According to UNICEF, Pakistan is home to nearly 19 million child brides, placing it among the countries with the highest number of underage marriages. Approximately 18 percent of girls in Pakistan are married before the age of 18, and around 4 percent before the age of 15. Early marriages contribute to higher maternal and infant mortality rates, limit girls’ educational attainment, and restrict their economic opportunities, trapping families in cycles of poverty.

The event concluded with a pledge from Nikah Khawans and registrars to play their part in preventing underage marriages, ensuring the protection of children’s rights, and supporting the development of healthier and more equitable communities across Pakistan.

RAWALPINDI, SEPT 30 /DNA/ – The Pakistan Army successfully conducted the training launch of the newly inducted, indigenously developed Fatah-4 Ground Launched Cruise Missile (GLCM) at a range of 750 kilometers, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement on Tuesday.

Equipped with advanced avionics and state-of-the-art navigational systems, the Fatah-4 is designed to evade enemy missile defense systems through terrain-hugging flight capabilities. The missile can engage targets with high precision, significantly enhancing the Army’s conventional strike capability.

According to ISPR, the successful launch is a major boost for the Army Rocket Force Command, strengthening its reach, lethality, and survivability in modern warfare.

The training launch was witnessed by the Chief of General Staff, senior officers of the Pakistan Armed Forces, and teams of dedicated scientists and engineers who contributed to the missile’s development.

Following the successful test, the President, Prime Minister, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, and Services Chiefs congratulated the troops, scientists, and engineers for their remarkable achievement and commitment to national defense.

The Fatah-4 is the latest addition to Pakistan’s growing indigenous missile arsenal, reflecting the country’s advancing technological capabilities and emphasis on self-reliance in defense production.

PESHAWAR, Sep 30 (APP/DNA): The Peshawar High Court has temporarily suspended notices issued to journalists under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA).

A two-member bench, comprising Justice Ejaz Anwar and Justice Khurshid Iqbal, issued the ruling while hearing a petition filed by journalists.

The court also served notices to the National Cyber Crime Wing and other concerned authorities, directing them to submit a detailed reply at the next hearing.

During proceedings, the petitioner’s counsel argued that his clients, who are professional journalists, had been served notices by the FIA Cyber Crime Wing without any mention of a specific crime or allegation.

He further pointed out that the High Court had previously suspended similar notices and that clear directives were already in place.

After considering the arguments, the bench ordered the suspension of all such notices and instructed the authorities to provide a detailed response in the upcoming hearing.

PESHAWAR, Sep 30 (APP/DNA):The civil society members has been urged to play their role in increasing voter turnout in the third phase of the by-elections scheduled for October 19, 2025.

This was stated by the Joint Provincial Election Commissioner of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Muhammad Fareed Afridi, while chairing a meeting of the Gender and Disability Electoral Working Group here Tuesday.

The meeting was attended by Muhammad Ayub Khan from Blue Veins, Muhammad Javed from SPDA, Muhammad Haris Khan from EnlightLab, Muhammad Shafiq from URDO, Roshan Khan from Pak Women, Ms. Hasna Ali from Da Hawalwar, Noor Alam from CPDI, Director Elections Muhammad Nadeem Khan, and the Provincial Election Commissioner’s spokesperson Sohail Ahmed.

On the occasion, the Joint Provincial Election Commissioner said that the Election Commission is committed to ensuring the participation of all marginalized groups, including women, in the electoral process.

He emphasized the need to raise awareness among voters in districts where by-elections are being held, regarding the importance of casting their votes.

Muhammad Fareed Afridi also gave a detailed briefing on the procedure and legal status of postal ballot papers for persons with disabilities.

He explained that during both local government and general elections, disabled individuals who are registered but unable to go to polling stations can obtain a postal ballot by filling out the relevant form and submitting it to the Returning Officer.

He said everyone must play their part in increasing women’s participation in the electoral process. In 13 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a campaign is ongoing in collaboration between the Election Commission and NADRA to help women who do not yet have Computerized National Identity Cards.

Mobile registration vans are being provided to facilitate easy access for women to get their CNICs.

He urged civil society to support the Election Commission in this campaign.

On this occasion, participants shared various suggestions regarding awareness campaigns.

ISLAMABAD, Sep 30 (APP/DNA):Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi on Tuesday strongly condemned the suicide blast near the Frontier Corps (FC) Headquarters in Quetta, expressing deep grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives.

In his statement, the Governor said that terrorists backed by India could never succeed in sabotaging the country’s peace or in targeting innocent civilians to achieve their nefarious designs.

He emphasized that the blood of martyrs would not go in vain and that the entire nation stands united against terrorism.

Governor Kundi expressed heartfelt condolences and sympathy with the families of the martyrs and prayed for the early recovery of the injured.

He urged the federal and provincial governments, along with law enforcement agencies, to bring the perpetrators and their facilitators to justice.

He further said that the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan equally share each other’s grief and pain, reaffirming that the nation stands shoulder to shoulder with the armed forces and security institutions in the fight against terrorism.

The Governor also paid tribute to the security forces for foiling the terrorists’ bid and acknowledged their sacrifices for the country’s peace and stability.

ISLAMABAD, SEPT 30 /DNA/ – Speakers at a roundtable held at Institute of Regional Studies expressed grave concern over the escalating dispossession and statelessness of Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam, India. The discussion highlighted how discriminatory policies, arbitrary legal practices, and systemic marginalization under the BJP government have created a humanitarian crisis with regional and international implications.

Ambassador Jauhar Saleem underscored that India, despite branding itself the “world’s largest democracy,” has stripped nearly 1.9 million people of citizenship under the 2019 National Register of Citizens (NRC). He noted that Foreigners’ Tribunals exploit clerical errors to render people stateless, while entire families, including children, are denied their fundamental rights. “Citizenship—the foundation of all other rights—has been eroded in Assam,” he stated, calling these measures a violation of international human rights law.

Ambassador Naela Chohan emphasized that this manufactured statelessness is driven by ethno-religious discrimination. She noted that Bengali-speaking Muslims, despite their generations-long presence in Assam, are branded as “illegal” and subjected to arbitrary evictions and deportations. “These policies deepen poverty, fuel insurgencies, and erode human dignity,” she warned, adding that historical prejudices and Hindutva-inspired exclusion are systematically marginalizing Muslim communities.

Dr. Natalie Brinham drew parallels between the plight of Bengali Muslims in Assam and the Rohingya in Myanmar, stressing that both groups face dispossession through manipulated citizenship and identity systems. She termed this crisis “mass citizenship stripping,” describing it as a deliberate, state-led process that criminalizes communities with deep roots in their homeland.

Mr. Asad Shabbir highlighted the toxic propaganda environment, where senior BJP officials label Bengali Muslims as “termite infiltrators” to justify exclusion. He cautioned that such rhetoric normalizes dehumanization and fosters Islamophobia, not only in Assam but across India and South Asia.

Mr. Mukhlees Ur Rehman shed light on the brutal ground realities, arbitrary detentions, forced deportations, and entire families abandoned in no man’s land. He warned that the crisis risks destabilizing the wider region, with Bangladesh already raising concerns about spillover effects.

Participants called on the international community, human rights organizations, and neighboring countries to take urgent notice of the crisis. They stressed that India’s actions violate Article 15 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, undermining its global credibility on human rights.

The roundtable concluded that unless India shifts from exclusionary practices toward inclusive governance, the crisis will deepen, destabilizing both Assam and the wider South Asian region.

ISLAMABAD, SEPT 30 /DNA/ – The Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan, under the auspices of its Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), hosted a Summit on Quality Assurance of Online and Distance Education in Pakistan at the HEC Secretariat, Islamabad.  The event was organized in collaboration with Sukkur IBA University and international partners under the Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE) Project “RAPID”.

The summit brought together distinguished national and international experts, policymakers, and academics to deliberate on enhancing the quality of online and distance education in Pakistan while aligning practices with international standards. Funded by the European Union Commission under Erasmus+ CBHE, the initiative represents a significant step in advancing institutional learning, global collaboration, and policy development for the higher education sector.

Addressing the inaugural session, Chairman HEC Mr. Nadeem Mahbub described the summit as a pivotal moment to rethink, reshape, and reimagine how education is delivered, assessed, and assured for quality in Pakistan. He emphasized that online and distance learning must serve as tools for equity, enabling access to higher education across Pakistan’s diverse geography, including underserved regions.

Stressing that technology is not a substitute for quality but a means to enhance it, he reaffirmed HEC’s commitment to strengthening digital infrastructure, conducting faculty capacity-building, enforcing policy frameworks, and integrating emerging technologies such as AI and virtual reality in ethical and effective ways. He urged that findings from the RAPID project be crystallized into next steps for policy refinement, calling upon stakeholders to see the summit as the beginning of sustained dialogue and collaboration.

In his welcome address, Executive Director HEC Dr. Zia Ul-Qayyum highlighted HEC’s resolve to strengthen quality assurance mechanisms in online and distance learning, noting that the RAPID project provides an opportunity to draw on European best practices while tailoring them to Pakistan’s needs. He stressed that building a resilient system of digital higher education requires collective ownership from universities, regulators, and international partners, and reaffirmed HEC’s commitment to steering this transformation in a structured and inclusive manner.

Mr. Philipp Gross, Chargé d’Affaires of the European Union Delegation to Pakistan, described the summit as a milestone that demonstrates how digital innovation, resilient policies, and international partnerships can strengthen Pakistan’s higher education system.

He stressed that RAPID is not only about digital tools but also about resilience, equity, and continuity in higher education.

Highlighting Pakistan’s global leadership in Erasmus+, where the country has ranked first worldwide for four consecutive years in Erasmus Mundus scholarships, he reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to supporting Pakistan’s digital transformation through faculty capacity building, infrastructure in remote universities, and long-term cooperation between European and Pakistani institutions.

Dr. Sher Muhammad Doudpota, RAPID Project Coordinator at Sukkur IBA University, emphasized that online education is the future of higher learning, accelerated by COVID-19 and the rise of generative AI. He underlined the need for Pakistan to adopt robust policies and quality assurance frameworks to remain relevant in the global education landscape.

Dr. Javed Ahmed Shahani, Co-Coordinator, highlighted the consortium’s achievements, noting that the project, comprising European and Pakistani universities with HEC’s Quality Assurance Agency as regulatory partner, has trained over 400 faculty members through webinars, seminars, and regional workshops, while 45 faculty benefited from mobility programs in Italy, Sweden, and Norway. He further shared that digital infrastructure is being established at the universities of Baltistan and Balochistan to bridge the urban–rural divide, and that a Policy Advisory Committee is working to refine Pakistan’s Open and Distance Learning framework.

The summit also featured technical sessions with leading international experts. Dr. Nicole Veelo of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology presented on “Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge in Online Education.” Dr. Mexhid Ferati of Linnaeus University, Sweden, spoke on “Reflections on Hybrid Program Delivery.” Prof. Dr. Paolo Bottoni of Sapienza University of Rome, Italy, delivered a talk on “Managing Remote Learning: Risks and Opportunities.” This was followed by a presentation on ODL policy by Mr. Abaidullah Anwar.

The afternoon sessions highlighted Pakistan’s national context. Prof. Dr. Nasir Mehmood of Virtual University spoke on “Implementation Challenges of ODL,” while Dr. Tayyaba Tamim of LUMS and Dr. Zubair Khalid of IBA shared insights on “Gaps in the ODL Policy.” A panel on stakeholder engagement was moderated by Dr. Shakeel Ahmed Khoja of IBA Karachi, fostering discussion among senior academics and QA professionals on the way forward.

In his concluding remarks, Director General QAA Mr. Nasir Shah thanked participants and partners for their contributions, noting that while Pakistan has advanced in policy and capacity building, gaps remain in infrastructure, curriculum, and faculty training. He emphasized that the summit’s recommendations will be key to addressing these challenges and reaffirmed QAA’s role as a catalyst for translating them into actionable reforms that make online education a driver of inclusion and innovation.

The proceedings of the summit, including recommendations and outcomes, will be compiled and shared with stakeholders including the European Commission, partner universities, and HEC divisions. These findings will feed directly into the refinement of Pakistan’s national policy on online and distance education.