Overview

• During a school assembly in Khyber district on May 30, headmaster Waqar Ahmed struck 10-year-old Khyalmat Khan repeatedly with a stick, leaving him critically injured.
• Khyalmat was taken to hospital where he died from his wounds, and police have arrested Ahmed and opened a murder investigation.
• Khyber District Police Officer Rai Mazhar Iqbal publicly condemned the brutality and said violence against children will not be tolerated.
• The killing has prompted parents and community leaders to call for full implementation of the law passed in 2021 banning corporal punishment in schools.
• Child rights advocates warn that enforcing the ban must be paired with teacher training, public awareness campaigns and better helpline services to prevent further abuse.