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• Restores headmistress’ penalty for negligence in protecting female teachers
• Orders strict anti-harassment mechanisms, law enforcement

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Friday restored a severe penalty imposed on a government school headmistress for gross negligence in failing to prevent the sexual harassment of female teachers under her supervision.

A two-judge SC bench, headed by Justice Muha­mmad Ali Mazhar and comprising Justice Musarrat Hilali, also issued wide-ran­ging guidelines to all educational institutions, requiring strict enforcement of workplace harassment laws.

In a 12-page judgement auth­ored by Justice Mazhar, the court observed that the sexual harassment of female teachers by male colleagues in any educational institution was “a grave transgression, illegal behaviour and a violation of law, ethics, workplace dignity and self-respect”.

The judgement explained that unsolicited comments, remarks, jokes or messages of a sexual nature, catcalling and other inappropriate behaviour, pressure for illicit favours in exchange for job benefits, attempts at unsolicited physical contact, and the creation of a hostile or unsafe work environment not only violate a person’s dignity and safety but also undermine the environment of the entire institution. Such conduct, it said, creates an insecure workplace for female teachers and hampers their ability to impart education effectively with proper application of mind and professional skills.

The court also set aside the Dec 8, 2023, order of the Punjab Service Tribunal, Lahore, which had reduced the punishment awarded to headmistress Shazia Iqbal. The tribunal had modified the penalty from forfeiture of five years of past service to forfeiture of one year.

While serving as principal/headmistress (BS-17) at the Government Special Education Centre, Lyalpur Town, Faisalabad, Shazia Iqbal was issued a show-cause notice under the Punjab Employees Effici­ency, Disci­pline and Accountability Act, 2006.

According to the allegations, the headmistress committed grave neg­ligence by overlooking the fact that special therapist (BS-17) Kam­ran Khan was illegally residing on the premises of the Govern­ment Special Education Centre. He was allegedly in the habit of molesting female teachers by blackmailing them, forcing them into illicit relations and threatening them with dire consequences, thereby seriously affecting the institution’s atmosphere and rendering it unconducive to education.

Justice Mazhar observed that educational institutions were regarded as an alma mater (nourishing mother) — revered centres of learning and knowledge that shape a person’s career, intellectual development, professional identity and personality. Such institutions, he said, deserve lifelong reverence from every pupil and alumnus for nurturing their personal and academic growth.

In its guidelines, the SC stressed the need to ensure a foolproof and healthy workplace environment in all educational institutions employing both male and female teachers.

The judgement called for every institution to adopt a clear internal harassment policy and establish an effective reporting mechanism involving senior management, including the head of the institution, so that complaints could be fairly investigated. Where allegations are proved through due process, disciplinary action should be taken against those found involved in such immoral and unlawful conduct.

The court ruled that departmental inquiries should be conducted independently and should not necessarily await decisions by the Federal Ombudsperson or provincial ombudsmen for protection against harassment of women at the workplace.

Justice Mazhar observed that the head of every educational institution bears an onerous responsibility to foster a workplace environment that clearly conveys zero tolerance for sexual harassment, while promoting professionalism and dedication as the institutional standard.

Considering the seriousness and sensitivity of the issue, the court directed its office to send copies of the judgement to the federal education secretary, chief secretaries, secretaries of school and higher education of all provinces, the Federal Ombudsperson and provincial ombudsmen.

The authorities were directed to ensure the elimination of sexual harassment at the grassroots level in all public and private educational institutions through meaningful measures and strict enforcement of the Code of Conduct for Protection against Harassment of Women at Workplace, framed under Sections 2(c) and 11 of the Protection against Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2010.

The court directed the federal and provincial education ministries to issue office orders or circulars requiring all heads of government and private educational institutions to prominently display the Code of Conduct for Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace in English as well as vernacular languages.

It also ordered every government and private educational institution to constitute an in-house inquiry committee, as required under the law, to deal with harassment complaints so that an aggrieved female teacher could submit her complaint directly to the committee instead of relying solely on the head of the institution to take action.

Published in Dawn, July 11th, 2026

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Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday called on Iran and all other parties involved in the Middle East conflict to exercise restraint and not jeopardise the “hard-earned peace gains” achieved over the past few months following an escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran.

Efforts to end the Middle East war have suffered a setback following an escalation in hostilities after Iranian attacks on ships in the strategic Strait of Hormuz. Iran struck at least three ships in recent days, prompting extensive US strikes on Iranian targets on Tuesday and Wednesday, which were followed by retaliatory attacks by Iran on Gulf countries.

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the premier issued the call during a telephone conversation with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, during which he expressed “deep concern” over the escalation and “underscored the urgent need to restore regional peace and stability”.

“He called on Iran and all other parties to exercise restraint and refrain from any action that could jeopardise the hard-earned peace gains achieved over the past few months,” the statement added.

The prime minister further stressed the importance of upholding the commitments made under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), describing it as an enduring framework for promoting mutual understanding, respect and shared prosperity in the region and beyond.

Reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to regional peace, PM Shehbaz assured Pezeshkian of Islamabad’s readiness to continue playing an “honest and sincere role” in facilitating dialogue and supporting all peace efforts between Washington and Tehran.

During the call, the Iranian president thanked the premier, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir and other senior Pakistani leaders for attending the funeral ceremony of late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

“He also reaffirmed Iran’s commitment to peace and appreciated Pakistan’s constructive support and sincere efforts for regional stability,” the statement said.

The PMO added that both leaders also reviewed the implementation of decisions made during Pezeshkian’s visit to Islamabad last month and agreed to expedite follow-up actions.

During the call, PM Shehbaz also conveyed his regards and best wishes to current supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, while both leaders agreed to “remain in close contact and continue consultations on matters of mutual interest and regional peace”.

Earlier this week, Pakistan expressed deep concern over escalating tensions in the Middle East and called on the US and Iran to exercise restraint following mutual overnight strikes.

In a statement, the Foreign Office noted that “a renewed conflict is in no one’s interest”.

“Pakistan calls on all parties to exercise restraint and refrain from any actions that may further undermine regional peace and stability. There is no alternative to continued engagement, dialogue and diplomacy to achieve [a] shared goal of peace in the region,” the statement added.

This is not the first time the US and Iran have exchanged strikes despite a ceasefire being in place since April.

Last month, the US carried out attacks in Iran in response to what US President Donald Trump said was the downing of a US Apache helicopter. In retaliation, Iran said it attacked bases and other targets in the Gulf.

Over a week after the strikes, the Islamabad MoU was signed, which gave both sides 60 days to negotiate a comprehensive agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme and related issues. It also mandates a complete halt to military operations on all fronts.

However, at the Nato summit in Ankara on Wednesday, Trump said that the ceasefire was “over”, adding, “It’s just a waste of time dealing with them. I’ll let our wonderful negotiators keep talking if they want, but I don’t see it. I don’t like these people.”

He further warned that the US would hit Iran “hard” that night, and Washington and Tehran traded strikes for a second consecutive day.

US forces said the latest attacks against Iran were aimed at “their ability to threaten the freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz”, citing recent strikes against commerical ships in the waterway.

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LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) has ruled that a citizen’s computerised national identity card (CNIC) could not be blocked to enforce a maintenance decree, holding that such a measure had no sanction under the law and violated due process.

Justice Muzamil Akhtar Shabir passed a judgement allowing a petition filed by Nasir Ali Ranjha, setting aside an executing court’s 2017 order directing the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) to block his CNIC for non-payment of maintenance to his wife and children.

The petitioner had challenged the order passed by the executing court in Gujrat under Section 51(e) of the Code of Civil Procedure (CPC), as well as subsequent orders refusing to recall the direction.

The executing court had ordered the petitioner’s CNIC to be blocked after observing that he was residing abroad and had deliberately avoided complying with the maintenance decree.

Observes blocking identity card without express legal authority violates due process, fundamental rights

The court had also initiated proceedings for the auction of his property.

Before the high court, his wife and other respondents argued that the petitioner had persistently evaded execution proceedings, making the blocking of his CNIC necessary to compel his appearance and ensure compliance with the decree.

Justice Shabir, however, observed that the executing court had exceeded its legal authority.

Relying on recent judgements by the Supreme Court and the LHC, the judge observed that Section 51(e) of the CPC, which allowed execution of decrees “in such other manner as the nature of the relief may require”, could not be interpreted to authorise the blocking of a CNIC.

The judge observed that although courts were expected to adopt effective measures for enforcing decrees, such powers could not be exercised in a manner that deprived a person of an essential identity document without express legal authority.

‘Indispensable’

Justice Shabir noted that a CNIC was no longer a mere statutory document but had become indispensable for leading an ordinary life.

“It is required for obtaining a passport, opening bank accounts, securing employment, accessing utility services, travelling, appearing before courts and availing numerous public and private services,” he added.

The judge observed that deprivation of a CNIC directly affected the enjoyment of several fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution.

Therefore, he added, its blockade could not be ordered except in accordance with the procedure prescribed by law.

The judge further held that under the Nadra Ordinance, a CNIC “may only be cancelled, impounded or confiscated in the limited circumstances specified by law, such as fraud, forgery or ineligibility”, and not to compel compliance with a civil decree.

The judge observed that the impugned orders passed by the lower courts dismissing the petitioner’s application for restoration of his CNIC on technical grounds were sketchy, as the petitioner had been directed to place the relevant document on record instead of having his plea rejected outright.

Allowing the petition, the judge declared the 2017 order blocking the petitioner’s CNIC to be without lawful authority and directed that his identity card be restored forthwith.

However, Justice Shabir clarified that the restoration of the CNIC would not affect the ongoing execution proceedings for the recovery of maintenance, which shall continue strictly in accordance with the law.

Published in Dawn, July 10th, 2026

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The El Nino weather pattern picked up strength over the past month and is highly likely to “rank among the largest” ever recorded when it peaks between October and December, US forecasters said Thursday.

El Nino warms surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, triggering worldwide changes in winds, atmospheric pressure and rainfall patterns, and pushing warmer overall global temperatures.

In its latest update, the US Climate Prediction Centre (CPC) said there is an 81 per cent chance of a “very strong” El Nino between October and December that would rank among the largest such events in the historic record going back to 1950.

“Very strong” is defined as being 2.0 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) or more above an index value. The CPC also put the odds at 97pc that the event will persist through early spring 2027.

That adds to a prediction made by Tim Stockdale, an El Nino expert of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, who said this week it would be “a very, very big surprise” if the event failed to be a record-breaker.

El Nino typically has knock-on effects globally, including drier conditions and drought in Australia, along with wetter winters in East Africa and the southern United States.

Isla Simpson, a climate scientist at the US National Centre for Atmospheric Research, told AFP that “there’s quite a lot of evidence from our models that global warming increases the variance of El Nino, so you get bigger El Nino events and also bigger La Nina events.” La Nina is the cooling phase of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation cycle.

Within the United States, El Nino events are typically “drought-busting” over some regions, including California but drying in others.

The connections to Europe are smaller and less certain, but there is some evidence that El Nino can increase the likelihood of cold conditions later in the winter in Northern Europe, said Simpson.

“Most likely, what we’ll see are the canonical El Nino teleconnections,” she said, “but in any given event, things can deviate from that just because we have all of these random uncertainties. There’s weather that happens on top of these longer-timescale predictable signals.” Sea surface temperatures are now 1.2C (2.2F) above average in a defined stretch of the equatorial Pacific known as the Nino 3.4 region, the CPC said.

Combined with warming waters below the surface and shifting wind and pressure patterns, the “ocean-atmosphere system reflected a strengthening El Nino.” While El Nino usually peaks between November and February, the resulting spike in temperatures typically comes later.

Compounded with human-induced climate change, the last El Nino contributed to making 2023 the second-hottest year on record and 2024 the all-time high.

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• Summons agency’s chief for briefing on online portal, enforcement timelines
• Senators seek briefing on revised mechanism for registration of blasphemy FIRs

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights expressed concern over the delay in processing of complaints by the National Cybercrime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) and the technical issues with its online complaint portal.

In its meeting chaired by Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri, the body reviewed the NCCIA performance, delays in cybercrime complaint redressal, the procedure being followed in blasphemy-related cases and progress in the murder case of Lahore resident Ahmed Javed.

Senator Quratulain Marri informed the meeting that a sustained online campaign had been launched against her and her family on social media, and that no effective action had been taken despite the filing of a formal complaint through legal counsel.

The NCCIA officials told the committee that technical and operational constraints had affected the online complaint system. They said written complaints could also be submitted through legal representatives for immediate processing while remedial work on the portal was underway. The committee was also informed that action regarding blocking or restricting objectionable online content was generally completed within 15 days.

Senator Zehri expressed dissatisfaction over the delay, questioning that whether complainant should be left helpless due to technical excuses. Senator Rana Mahmoodul Hassan, too, echoed the same sentiments.

In view of these concerns, the committee decided to summon the NCCIA director general in its July 17 meeting for a briefing on status of the online complaint portal, delays in complaint processing, enforcement timelines, response protocols, and measures being taken to improve the performance.

Blasphemy cases

The committee also received a briefing from the Punjab home secretary on blasphemy cases. The meeting was apprised that a special committee constituted to examine such cases had met twice. The secretary said an inter-agency coordination mechanism had also been established to strengthen prosecution, improve coordination and streamline legal proceedings.

The committee was told that online blasphemy-related content was being monitored through a dedicated monitoring centre and actionable reports were forwarded to the PTA for action.

Senator Zehri sought a detailed briefing on the revised mechanism for registration of FIRs in blasphemy cases.

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2026

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PESHAWAR: As lawmakers from across the aisle in the KP Assembly joined hands to defend the controversial law granting extended powers and privileges to members, Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Wednesday ordered a review of its provisions following media outcry.

It was reported yesterday that the KP government had recently approved the enactment of the KP Provincial Assembly (Powers, Immunities and Privileges) Act, 2026, which was passed on April 30 and signed by the governor on May 6.

The law expands provincial assembly members’ powers and immunities, including the issuance of lifetime official passports to them and their spouses, blanket immunity from preventive detention, and entitlement to licences for up to eight non-prohibited-bore weapons.

The law has faced severe criticism from media persons across Pakistan and the public in the province.

“I hope that the amendments made to the Act will be reviewed. Any future steps will be taken in the public interest,” the chief minister said in a statement issued by his office.

While chairing a cabinet meeting, CM Afridi said that as the amendments made to the law were being criticised, provisions concerning media persons should be reconsidered.

He said that PTI founder Imran Khan had always promoted freedom of expression and wanted journalists to openly criticise wherever they deemed necessary. However, he added that he and his government had also faced criticism and that some “black channels” were running misleading propaganda against the government.

“In other provinces, journalists criticising the government are subjected to disappearances, violence and harassment,” he said, adding that the KP government had not taken any illegal action against anyone and that legal action was taken only if someone spread false propaganda.

“The speaker has been asked to meet parliamentary leaders and review the concerns of the general public and media persons,” he said.

The chief minister also claimed that the KP Assembly was the only one established through a public mandate.

Meanwhile, during a joint press conference, lawmakers from both the treasury and opposition benches said confusion had arisen despite the fact that clauses in the KP Provincial Assembly (Powers, Immunities and Privileges) Act, 2026, were similar to those in an earlier law passed in 1988, including provisions regarding the issuance of blue passports to members of provincial assemblies.

The new act repealed the 1988 law on the same subject.

Information Minister Shafi Jan claimed the draft approved by the cabinet did not include provisions for issuing blue passports to lawmakers and that the amendment was introduced by the opposition.

He also said that the privileges approved by the KP Assembly for lawmakers were fewer compared to those approved by the Sindh and Punjab assemblies.

“Around 57,000 blue passports have been issued by the federal government,” he claimed, adding that the federal government should disclose the identities of the blue passport holders.

He further stated that lawmakers were entitled to four arms licences and that the additional four were approved in view of the law and order situation in the province.

“The provincial government will hold a sitting with journalist bodies,” he said. However, the minister claimed that press laws in Sindh and Punjab were “harsher” than those in KP.

He said the KP government took criticism positively and urged journalists to discuss the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act as well.

PPP lawmaker Ahmad Karim Kundi said that penalties for media persons for spreading misinformation were part of the law enacted in 1988. He, however, added that no one had been penalised since 1988 and that the penalties could be reduced.

Awami National Party’s Arbab Usman said that a province which had offered greater sacrifices should be given more perks.

“Unfortunately, some journalists misused their rights. A blue passport is not a big deal, and if others have it, why not us? What does it have to do with the people?” he questioned.

PTI-Parliamentarians’ Arbab Waseem said that lawmakers were public representatives and were answerable to the people. However, he emphasised that lawmakers from other provincial assemblies should also be considered, as they also enjoyed the same facilities.

PML-N’s Sobia Shahid said that she was a member of the committee and a signatory to the act, adding that laws of all other provinces were discussed during the meeting and some clauses were incorporated into the KP Act.

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KARACHI: A missing six-year old boy was found raped and murdered near Karachi’s Lea Market on Wednesday, with the police claiming to have arrested a 20-year old suspect who happened to be a neighbour of the victim.

Napier police said that the body of the boy was found at Punjab Gali near Spencer’s Eye Hospital, and moved to Karachi’s Civil Hospital for legal formalities.

Police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed said that the body was “decomposed” and there were “multiple bone injuries”.

“All samples have been collected for sexual violence and chemical analysis,” she said, adding that the cause of death was “reserved”.

Deputy Inspector General (DIG) South Syed Asad Raza told Dawn that although doctors had collected samples to ascertain sexual assault, the arrested suspect had confessed during the initial probe to kidnapping the boy for that purpose.

After allegedly killing the boy, the suspect kept the body on the rooftop of his house. It was later thrown from the third floor into an empty plot on Tuesday night, wrapped in a gunny bag, according to the DIG. Residents of the area noticed the incident and opened the bag, discovering the body.

The residents informed the police, who rushed to the area. In the meantime, some residents brought the suspect out from his residence and beat him before the police arrived to take him into custody.

According to the DIG, the suspect is a 20-year-old bachelor who works as a carpenter and originally hailed from Phool Nagar in Lahore. He was a neighbour of the victim, whose family also belonged to Punjab.

The victim was the only son of his parents, who also have four daughters.

The city police said in a statement that Napier police received information about the boy’s disappearance on July 6. The police continued searching for him but could not locate him, and a first information report (FIR) was later registered in the case.

Late on Tuesday night, police received information about the recovery of the boy’s body. According to the complainant and information provided by area residents, police arrested a suspect for allegedly throwing the body there, the police statement said.

According to the FIR, the father said he was a rickshaw driver by profession and lived in Muslimabad. He said that when he returned home on Monday at around 3pm, his daughter informed him that the boy had left to visit a shop at around 2:30pm but had not returned.

The father said he searched for his son in the neighbourhood and elsewhere and made announcements from local mosques, but the boy could not be traced.

On the father’s complaint, the Napier police registered the FIR under sections 3 (Trafficking in persons) of the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act of 2018 and 364-A (Kidnapping or abducting a person under the age of fourteen) of the Pakistan Penal Code, and launched an investigation.

Sindh’s Home Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar also took notice of the kidnapping, sexual assault and murder of the boy and sought a detailed report from the DIG South, according to a statement issued by the ministry.

Last month, a three-year-old girl was found murdered at her doorstep in Quaidabad. Initial findings of a post-mortem examination confirmed that she had been subjected to “violent rape” before being murdered.

Described as “one of the most horrific cases” the police surgeon had seen in her career, the incident shocked the entire city, prompting the Sindh police chief to form a special team to investigate the case.

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