Hafiz Saeed's seminaries, dispensaries took over in Punjab
Islamabad: Pakistan's Punjab government has launched a crackdown on seminaries and health facilities run by the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief and 2008 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed in Rawalpindi.
The action came after a high-level UN sanctions team visited Rawalpindi in January to review progress against groups and individuals banned by the UN.
Following orders by the Pakistan government, the Rawalpindi administration took control of a seminary and four dispensaries run by JuD and its charity wing Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation (FIF).
The seminary was handed over to the Auqaf Department, which controls the religious properties, while the dispensaries were given to the Health Department.
"The district administration teams have visited the seminaries, but JuD has denied any link with the madrassas," a senior district official told Dawn. He said the government had taken control of madrassa Hudabia -- which comprised a college, a school and a seminary -- and started conducting an audit of its finances to check details of the funding and expenditures.
He said a similar operation would also be launched in Attock, Chakwal and Jhelum districts.
Pakistan has come under intense pressure to act against terror groups after US President Donald Trump, in his first tweet of 2018, announced cutting all further aid to Islamabad on charges of "harboring terrorists".
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Bengaluru: Karnataka mulls ban social media for children below 16, says Priyank Kharge
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government is considering a ban on the use of social media for children below the age of 16, taking inspiration from steps taken by countries such as Australia and Finland, The New Indian Express reported.
Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj and IT-BT, Priyank Kharge, informed the Assembly on Friday that the issue is under discussion. Responding to senior BJP leader and MLA S Suresh Kumar, who expressed concern over the abuse of social media, Kharge admitted that it is a serious issue.
Finland has taken action, the UK is considering similar steps, and Australia imposed a ban two months ago. “We too in the state have launched a digital detoxification programme for responsible use of AI and social media. The IT-BT department, in collaboration with Meta, has been running it by involving over three lakh children and one lakh teachers,” TNIE quoted him as saying.
Kharge said that in March 2025, the government launched the ‘Beyond Screens’ programme to help people dealing with digital addiction. The initiative was announced during the GAFX 2025 summit, along with the opening of a ‘Beyond Screens’ digital detox centre and the launch of an official website.
The detox centre serves as a dedicated hub for resources, counselling and intervention programmes for healthier digital habits.
During the Assembly session, Suresh Kumar also referred to the Economic Survey 2025-26, which was presented in the Lok Sabha on Thursday. The survey recommended that governments consider age-based restrictions on social media use for children.
