Pakistan’s child protection system failing to address online sexual abuse: HRCP

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) warned on Tuesday that online sexual abuse of children remained a serious child protection concern, with underreporting, weak institutional coordination and inadequate safeguards preventing many cases from coming to light. In its report on online child sexual abuse, the commission said the issue must be treated not merely as a cybercrime challenge but as a violation of children’s fundamental rights, dignity and safety. The report refers to a case reported in Muzaffargarh in 2025, in which at least 50 children, including children aged six or younger, were allegedly subjected to sexual exploitation through an international network. Read: 1.5 million children face online abuse Every statistic in a report on online child sexual abuse is a child whose safety, dignity, and rights were taken from them. Our recent report on online child sexual abuse sounded an alarm but the cases we document are only those that are reported in the first place. Many cases… pic.twitter.com/1xqPB0QSU7 — Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (@HRCP87) October 27, 2026 Citing figures from the US-based National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, the report states that reports linked to suspected child sexual abuse material in Pakistan exceeded two million in 2021. However, these figures represented reports of suspected online activity and should not be interpreted as the number of individual victims. The HRCP has called for stronger coordination among child protection authorities, police, cybercrime investigators, prosecutors and the judiciary to ensure effective investigations and accountability for perpetrators. It has also stressed the need to provide affected children with legal assistance, psychological support and rehabilitation services. Read More: NCCIA rescues 13-year-old Karachi girl in probe into suspected dark web network The commission said awareness campaigns alone would not address the problem, calling for stronger child protection mechanisms, institutional accountability and greater responsibility from online platforms to make the internet safer for children. According to a report launched by the National Commission on the Rights of the Child in collaboration with UNICEF Pakistan in September, around 1.5 million internet-using Pakistani children aged 12 to 17 were subjected to sexual exploitation and abuse online in a single year. The report examined the nature and scale of online sexual exploitation and abuse, experiences of children and caregivers, perspectives of frontline professionals, and gaps in Pakistan's legal and institutional response.

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Naqvi hints at Imran's transfer to Islamabad’s new Model Jail

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi hinted on Tuesday that incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan could be shifted to a new jail in Islamabad. Imran has been imprisoned since August 2023, currently serving a sentence at Adiala Jail in a £190 million corruption case. He also faces pending trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) related to the protests of May 9, 2023. Speaking to the media during a visit to the Islamabad Model Jail facility, the interior minister informed that the project had been completed after being "pending for 17 years", further adding that the new jail would be inaugurated by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the coming days. While responding to a reporter’s question about how much time it would take to transfer prisoners from Adiala jail, Naqvi stated that all prisoners from Islamabad’s courts would be shifted to the jail. Read: Imran to be moved to Islamabad jail When asked if Imran would also be shifted to the jail, he replied: "My specific answer is that whosoever is a prisoner of Islamabad will be shifted here." Naqvi noted that while work on the project had initially begun in 2009, construction work commenced in 2016, further adding that when he first visited the project in 2024, “only 40 to 50 per cent of it had been completed and the project had nearly been abandoned”. Read More: Model jail misses sixth completion deadline The minister credited Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry and the team of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) for completing the project, working "day and night”, adding that Chaudhry had inspected every aspect of the facility. “Now this project is ready. We are now waiting for the prime minister for the opening in the next few days, and then we will transfer the prisoners here,” he added. وزیر داخلہ نے نئی جیل میں قیدیوں کے لیے فراہم کردہ سہولیات کا تفصیلی جائزہ لیا وفاقی وزیر داخلہ نے قیدیوں کے لیے تیار کھانا کھا کر معیار چیک کیا اسلام آباد ماڈل جیل کا جلد وزیراعظم پاکستان افتتاح کریں گے، محسن نقوی — Ministry of Interior GoP (@MOIofficialGoP) October 27, 2026 "The entire team, including CDA chairman, worked hard on reviving this project that was nearly abandoned". He said he had inspected the jail's kitchen and hospital during the visit, adding that prisoners currently held in Islamabad would be shifted to the new facility after inauguration by the premier. 17 برس سے زیر التواء اسلام آباد ماڈل جیل کا منصوبہ مکمل وفاقی وزیر داخلہ محسن نقوی اور وزیر مملکت طلال چوہدری کا اسلام آباد ماڈل جیل کا دورہ وفاقی وزیر داخلہ نے ماڈل جیل کے مختلف حصوں کا معائنہ کیا وزیر داخلہ محسن نقوی نے جیل ہسپتال، کچن، میس، بیرکس اور ویٹنگ ایریا کا دورہ کیا pic.twitter.com/sPR8sEyEh0 — Ministry of Interior GoP (@MOIofficialGoP) October 27, 2026 The interior minister said the jail had been built in accordance with “international standards” and its administration was fully prepared to begin operations after inauguration by the premier. The interior minister further added that in the first phase, 1,500 prisoners would be transferred to the jail while around three to four thousand prisoners would be accommodated in the second phase. According to jail sources, 1,500 prisoners, including Imran, are expected to be shifted to the facility in the initial phase. The first phase includes three completed barracks, a 35-bed mini-hospital, a mosque and a kitchen. They said Imran could be moved to the new facility between November 20 and 30. A special ward for him has reportedly been completed, while installation of its closed-circuit television surveillance system is in its final stages. Naqvi had also indicated in February that  indicated that Imran may be shifted to the new jail.  Speaking to the media after a visit to the under-construction prison, the interior minister was asked whether Imran would also be moved to the new facility, to which he had said, “If he has been sentenced by Islamabad, then he will come here. The people [sentenced in] Islamabad will be brought here.” Background of Islamabad Model Jail Located in Sector H-16 of the federal capital, the Islamabad Model Central Jail is spread over 90 acres and has been designed to accommodate 2,000 inmates. Once completed, it will become the first purpose-built prison for the federal capital, replacing the existing arrangement under which Islamabad's prisoners are housed at Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail. The state-of-the-art correctional facility is being developed with modern security infrastructure and rehabilitation-focused amenities. The complex will include separate barracks for women and juvenile inmates, a fully equipped hospital, a mosque, a library, vocational training centres, courtrooms, administrative offices, residential accommodation for prison staff and a school for their children. Officials say the facility has now entered its final phase of construction, although several key components still require completion before it can become operational. At present, Islamabad has no functional prison of its own, forcing all undertrial and convicted prisoners from the capital to be lodged at Adiala Jail. Every day, hundreds of prisoners are transported between Rawalpindi and Islamabad courts for hearings, placing a significant burden on police manpower, security arrangements and traffic management. Authorities believe the completion of the Islamabad Model Jail will substantially reduce these logistical challenges while improving security during prisoner transportation and providing a modern correctional environment.

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Khawaja Asif hints at 'progress' in Makkah alliance’s talks with Iran on Saudi-Houthi conflict

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Monday hinted at the possibility of "progress" in a meeting of the Makkah Defence Alliance members with Iran, stating that the participants had likely arrived at a "conclusion" to end Saudi Arabia's conflict with the Houthis. Members of the Makkah Defence Alliance and Iran agreed to continue further dialogue in an effort to ramp up cooperation for regional peace and security after a high-level meeting in Tehran. Attacks by Yemen's Houthis have spiralled in recent weeks, and rhetoric between Washington and Tehran has grown more heated. Both countries have also drawn up plans to restart the wider war, possibly after the US midterm elections on November ​3. Read: Makkah alliance, Iran agree to continue dialogue for bolstering cooperation in regional peace, security Speaking on a private news channel, Asif said it seemed that "some progress" had transpired in the Tehran meeting, given how Iran had issued a joint statement after the meeting about deciding to launch joint efforts towards peace along with regional countries. Questioned whether the meeting was more about the US-Iran war or the Saudi-Houthi conflict, he said the talks in Tehran were directed as “more of an effort for what is happening in Saudi Arabia”, further adding that while the US-Iran aspect would have been discussed, the presence of the Saudi defence minister and the Turkish intelligence chief were also significant. “The joint statement from Iran has come at the highest level of the country’s hierarchy. I think we have arrived at some sort of a conclusion that will help close out this war." He added: "Let us hope that after Iran’s joint statement, there are some steps taken towards peace." The minister underscored that it remained binding on Pakistan to safeguard Saudi Arabia, especially given how the Houthis were targeting Riyadh airport and the holy sites. “We will defend Saudi Arabia with all of our might and capability. "Just as Pakistan’s defence is indispensable for us, in the same manner, the defence of Saudi Arabia is also compulsory for us. Under the agreement, the three countries are committed through an arrangement to collectively deal with threats," he said. Responding to a question of whether Iran would bring Houthis to the negotiating table or make them stop attacks on the kingdom, Asif stated that elements such as the Houthis operated as independent actors and did not necessarily require patronage. “Once you have a setup in a country where there is no state structure, then it is possible for groups like this to operate in this manner”. Asif further noted that Saudi Arabia's war with Yemen started in March 2014, and it had been Pakistan’s commitment ever since to defend the kingdom. "Now three countries are bound by the agreement that we will defend each other's territory against any foreign aggression." The defence minister stated that Pakistan’s peace initiatives, led by Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, had positive effects. Commenting on elections in Israel and the United States, Asif said it was unfair to create and continue conflicts for political reasons. "In my view, for limited political objectives, wars should not be started." Tensions rising Saudi Arabia intercepted another wave of missiles and ​drones on Sunday as fighting with the Houthis ​continued unabated. Ministers from the Makkah pact countries ⁠held an emergency meeting in Riyadh earlier this month and agreed to ensure the "rapid deployment" of military forces and capabilities in Saudi Arabia. The Houthi attacks have become an increasingly destabilising element in the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, turning US ally Saudi Arabia into a pressure point in the wider ​war. Read More: Saudi-led coalition intercepts 3 drones over Riyadh, southern Saudi Arabia Tensions between Washington and Tehran have sharpened in recent days. President Donald Trump said on Friday the US may carry out another ​military operation against Iran and ⁠Iran's leaders have said that a renewed US military campaign would be met with a stronger response than before. Iranian security officials have told Reuters that Tehran has drawn up detailed plans to hit Gulf undersea cables if the United States and Israel attack again. A US intelligence memo this week warned that Iranian plots against American personnel had reached "advanced stages". The war, now nearly eight months old, has weighed ⁠on US President Donald ​Trump's approval ratings ahead of the midterms. The Makkah agreement's first article says the parties shall use "all necessary means" to ​eliminate threats to one another's territorial integrity, sovereignty or internationally recognised borders, according to a text seen by Reuters. Efforts by Turkiye’s parliament to ratify the agreement began last week and are still underway, while Pakistan approved the pact last ​week.

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Where have Karachi’s Olive Ridley turtles gone?

Once familiar visitors to Pakistan’s sandy shores, Olive Ridley sea turtles have all but vanished from the country’s recorded nesting grounds. Now, the discovery of a dead turtle on Clifton Beach has brought an old ecological mystery into focus: if these turtles still inhabit the Arabian Sea, where have the breeding females gone? The turtle’s death has no confirmed explanation. It may have become entangled in a fishing net, collided with a vessel or fallen victim to marine pollution. But its appearance on Karachi’s shoreline has renewed concern over a far bigger disappearance - the collapse of Olive Ridley nesting along Pakistan’s coast. According to WWF-Pakistan technical adviser Muhammad Moazzam Khan, these turtles were once found in significant numbers at Sandspit, Hawke’s Bay, Manora, Sonmiani Beach and other coastal locations. Historical research cited by experts recorded more than 500 Olive Ridley nests along Karachi’s beaches during the 1980s and 1990s. By 1996-97, that number had reportedly plummeted to just two. In the years that followed, researchers failed to establish reliable evidence of regular nesting by the species on Pakistan’s shores. The turtles, however, have not disappeared entirely from regional waters. Olive Ridleys continue to inhabit the Arabian Sea, leaving scientists with a crucial unanswered question: have Pakistan’s breeding females shifted to distant shores, or are other factors disrupting their nesting cycle?   Khan believes satellite tracking could help unravel the mystery. He cited a study in a neighbouring country in which an Olive Ridley fitted with a GPS tag crossed the Arabian Sea and reached Oman to breed. Similar research in Pakistan could identify migration routes, locate breeding grounds and reveal the dangers turtles encounter in their journeys across the sea. The need for such research is underscored by recent encounters along Pakistan’s coastline. Two Olive Ridley turtles caught in fishermen’s nets near Jiwani, Balochistan, were recently rescued and released. Their presence offers evidence that the species continues to frequent Pakistani waters, even as its nesting history remains largely unaccounted for. The dead turtle at Clifton is not an isolated reminder of the pressures facing marine life. Several dead green turtles have previously been found at Hawke’s Bay and Sandspit, raising wider concerns about the hazards confronting sea turtles along Karachi’s increasingly busy coastline. Fishermen Sajag Forum Chairman Muhammad Bakhsh Jat warned that plastic bags, discarded plastic waste and marine pollution posed serious threats to marine life. Damage to the marine ecosystem, he said, also threatens the livelihoods of fishing communities that depend on healthy coastal waters. Experts identify entanglement in fishing nets, intensive human activity, pollution and changes to natural nesting habitats among the principal dangers facing sea turtles. Yet the precise reasons behind the collapse of Olive Ridley nesting on Pakistan’s beaches remain uncertain, and specialists caution that more scientific investigation is needed before definitive conclusions can be drawn. Olive Ridleys are capable of travelling thousands of miles between feeding and breeding areas. Tracking their movements could therefore help determine whether turtles frequenting Pakistani waters are nesting elsewhere and, if so, where their breeding grounds lie. It could also provide the scientific basis for regional cooperation to protect their migration routes and habitats. For now, the dead turtle on Clifton Beach is both a troubling sight and a reminder of how much remains unknown beneath the Arabian Sea’s surface. The species may still be passing through these waters, but until its movements are tracked and its breeding destinations identified, the silence of Pakistan’s once-recorded nesting grounds will remain an ecological mystery.

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Lahore ranks second globally as air pollution persists across Punjab

Lahore ranked second among the world's most polluted major cities on IQAir's live air quality tracker on Monday, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 199, as pollution remained a concern across Punjab ahead of the peak winter smog season. The city's position and pollution reading fluctuated during the day. IQAir's Lahore city page recorded an AQI of 139 at 3pm on October 26, with fine particulate matter (PM2.5) identified as the main pollutant at 51 micrograms per cubic metre. The reading placed Lahore in the unhealthy-for-sensitive-groups category on the US AQI scale. The Punjab Environmental Protection Agency's monitoring data also showed considerable variation in air quality across the province. Pakpattan recorded an AQI of 210, followed by Multan at 204 and Sargodha at 195. Vehari registered 178, Kot Addu 176, Dera Ghazi Khan 165 and Khushab 160. PUNJAB AQI UPDATE 26 OCTOBER Average AQI: 144 (Moderate) Highest : D.G. Khan 213 Lowest: Talla Ganag 96 Lahore: 178 PM2.5 remains dominant. Check local AQI: https://t.co/wfP4JGWQ7g#EPAPunjab #PunjabAQI pic.twitter.com/L1QTpH6TVL — Environmental Protection Agency, Punjab (@EPAPunjab) October 26, 2026 Read: Lahore tops global pollution ranking Mandi Bahauddin recorded an AQI of 159, Sahiwal 158, Jhelum 157 and Attock 156. Lahore's reading stood at 151, placing it 18th among 31 cities in the provincial ranking, while Nankana Sahib recorded the lowest reading at 35. The figures highlight the uneven distribution of pollution across Punjab, with some districts recording substantially higher readings than the provincial capital. An AQI of 151 falls into the unhealthy-for-sensitive-groups category on the US AQI scale, while readings above 200 indicate very unhealthy air. Weather conditions are also relevant as the province enters the winter smog period. The Pakistan Meteorological Department's forecast issued on Monday predicted dry weather across most districts of Punjab on Tuesday, with cold conditions expected in the morning and at night in hilly areas. 🌤️ Weather Update: Dry weather is expected in most parts of Pakistan. However, partly cloudy weather is likely in the northern areas, with cold weather is expected during night hours.#PakistanWeather #PMD #WeatherUpdate #coldweather #dryweather pic.twitter.com/8VwX2M5LzW — Pak Met Department محکمہ موسمیات (@pmdgov) October 26, 2026 Lahore's maximum temperature was forecast to range between 29°C and 31°C on Tuesday, with a similar range expected on Wednesday. The forecast did not indicate rain over the provincial capital in the period covered. Read More: Lahore faces the return of toxic smog The absence of forecast rainfall means there is no immediate indication of rain-related relief for Lahore, although actual pollution levels will continue to depend on changing atmospheric conditions and emissions. Dry weather alone does not establish how the AQI would change. As temperatures decline, air quality remains a concern for residents, particularly children, older people and those with respiratory or heart conditions. Health experts advise people to reduce outdoor exertion when pollution levels are elevated and to limit the entry of polluted outdoor air into indoor spaces.

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Lahore ranks second globally as air pollution persists across Punjab

Lahore ranked second among the world's most polluted major cities on IQAir's live air quality tracker on Monday, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 199, as pollution remained a concern across Punjab ahead of the peak winter smog season. The city's position and pollution reading fluctuated during the day. IQAir's Lahore city page recorded an AQI of 139 at 3pm on October 26, with fine particulate matter (PM2.5) identified as the main pollutant at 51 micrograms per cubic metre. The reading placed Lahore in the unhealthy-for-sensitive-groups category on the US AQI scale. The Punjab Environmental Protection Agency's monitoring data also showed considerable variation in air quality across the province. Pakpattan recorded an AQI of 210, followed by Multan at 204 and Sargodha at 195. Vehari registered 178, Kot Addu 176, Dera Ghazi Khan 165 and Khushab 160. PUNJAB AQI UPDATE 26 OCTOBER Average AQI: 144 (Moderate) Highest : D.G. Khan 213 Lowest: Talla Ganag 96 Lahore: 178 PM2.5 remains dominant. Check local AQI: https://t.co/wfP4JGWQ7g#EPAPunjab #PunjabAQI pic.twitter.com/L1QTpH6TVL — Environmental Protection Agency, Punjab (@EPAPunjab) October 26, 2026 Read: Lahore tops global pollution ranking Mandi Bahauddin recorded an AQI of 159, Sahiwal 158, Jhelum 157 and Attock 156. Lahore's reading stood at 151, placing it 18th among 31 cities in the provincial ranking, while Nankana Sahib recorded the lowest reading at 35. The figures highlight the uneven distribution of pollution across Punjab, with some districts recording substantially higher readings than the provincial capital. An AQI of 151 falls into the unhealthy-for-sensitive-groups category on the US AQI scale, while readings above 200 indicate very unhealthy air. Weather conditions are also relevant as the province enters the winter smog period. The Pakistan Meteorological Department's forecast issued on Monday predicted dry weather across most districts of Punjab on Tuesday, with cold conditions expected in the morning and at night in hilly areas. 🌤️ Weather Update: Dry weather is expected in most parts of Pakistan. However, partly cloudy weather is likely in the northern areas, with cold weather is expected during night hours.#PakistanWeather #PMD #WeatherUpdate #coldweather #dryweather pic.twitter.com/8VwX2M5LzW — Pak Met Department محکمہ موسمیات (@pmdgov) October 26, 2026 Lahore's maximum temperature was forecast to range between 29°C and 31°C on Tuesday, with a similar range expected on Wednesday. The forecast did not indicate rain over the provincial capital in the period covered. Read More: Lahore faces the return of toxic smog The absence of forecast rainfall means there is no immediate indication of rain-related relief for Lahore, although actual pollution levels will continue to depend on changing atmospheric conditions and emissions. Dry weather alone does not establish how the AQI would change. As temperatures decline, air quality remains a concern for residents, particularly children, older people and those with respiratory or heart conditions. Health experts advise people to reduce outdoor exertion when pollution levels are elevated and to limit the entry of polluted outdoor air into indoor spaces.

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2 servicemen martyred as forces kill 7 terrorists

Security forces killed seven terrorists during two separate intelligence-based operations (IBOs) in Dera Ismail Khan district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and Qila Saifullah district of Balochistan, while two servicemen were martyred in the line of duty. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), security forces conducted an IBO in the Zarkani area of Dera Ismail Khan on Saturday following reports of the presence of Khwarij belonging to Fitna Al Khwarij, a term used for terrorists belonging to the Indian proxy Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). "Owing to meticulous conduct of operation by security forces, six Indian-sponsored Khwarij were sent to hell," the military's media wing said in a statement. However, it added that two servicemen, Naik Ghulam Murtaza and Sepoy Taseer Ahmed, embraced martyrdom. "During the intense fire exchange, Naik Ghulam Murtaza (age: 36 years, resident of District Gujrat) and Sepoy Taseer Ahmed (age: 30 years, resident of District Talagang), having fought gallantly, paid the ultimate sacrifices and embraced shahadat," the statement said. Weapons and ammunition were also recovered from the slain terrorists, who, according to the ISPR, had been actively involved in numerous attacks against security forces and law enforcement agencies, as well as the killing of innocent civilians. The ISPR said a sanitisation operation was underway to eliminate any other Indian-sponsored terrorists found in the area. It added that the sacrifices of the soldiers reinforced the military's commitment to safeguarding the country. "The relentless counter-terrorism campaign under vision 'Azm-e-Istehkam', as approved by the Federal Apex Committee on National Action Plan, by security forces and law enforcement agencies will continue at full pace to wipe out the menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country." Separately, Radio Pakistan, citing security sources, reported that security forces killed Adil Shah, alias Darvesh, a commander of Fitna Al Khawarij, during an IBO under Operation 'Radd-ul-Fitna 3' in Qila Saifullah. The report said the slain commander had been associated with the group since December 2020 and had managed its financial affairs since 2024. He had also been involved in arranging permanent residences for foreign terrorists in Zhob, Sherani and Shaban, the source added. The commander had been involved in attacks on security forces and kidnappings for ransom since 2022, while 19 first information reports (FIRs) had been registered against him. A bounty of Rs2.5 million had been placed on his head. President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hailed the security forces for killing the six Indian sponsored terrorists. They paid tribute to Naik Ghulam Murtaza and Sepoy Taseer Ahmed, who were martyred during the operation. (WITH INPUTS FROM APP)

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