Expressing serious concern over the ban on polio vaccination in North Waziristan, former adviser to PM and focal person for polio eradication Shahnaz Wazir Ali has asked the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor to direct the agency chief to hold dialogue with the militants and ensure the launch of polio campaign from June 20.
However, despite certain secret attempts from the FATA Secretariat and political administration, polio campaign could not be started in North Waziristan.
The militants’ leader in North Waziristan, Hafiz Gul Bahadur, banned polio vaccination in the agency on June 16. He said the ban on polio vaccination would continue until the end of drone attacks in Waziristan.
Shahnaz Wazir Ali sent a letter to Khyber Pakhtunkha Governor Masood Kausar on June 18, requesting him to direct the agency’s political agent to start dialogues with the militants to ensure that the polio campaigns are not disrupted.
A source in the FATA Secretariat said that due to short time, it was not possible to hold fruitful dialogues with the militants. He said it would take time. To a question, he said, definitely, the FATA Secretariat and the governor would take steps to resolve the issue for the lives of hundreds of thousands of children in the area.
After increase in drone attacks inside Pakistan’s tribal areas, Hafiz Gul Bahadur banned the polio vaccination.
