Harassment of polio workers: Cleric released on villagers’ urging

Maulvi Sajjad Ahmad was detained after he tried to provoke people of area to prevent a team from vaccinating.

FAISALABAD:

Pir Mehal police in Toba Tek Singh district on Friday released a cleric who had allegedly harassed a polio worker during a vaccination drive in Chak 728-JB on Thursday night.

Maulvi Sajjad Ahmad, a prayer leader at a mosque in Chak 728-JB, was detained after he tried to provoke the people of the area to prevent a team from vaccinating children in the village.

Police said he not only did not allow polio workers to vaccinate his children, he made announcements saying the drops caused diseases and the drive was a conspiracy against Muslims.

Vaccination team head Javed Haider told The Express Tribune that the prayer leader had also stopped children at a mosque and its seminary from being vaccinated.

He said he had reported the incident to Pir Mehal police who had detained Ahmad.

SHO Waseem Sarwar said Ahmad had been taken into custody when police were informed about the incident.

He said a large number of elders of the village reached the police station and assured them that they would cooperate with the polio vaccination drive in the village.

He said the villagers had urged police to release Ahmad.

He said elders of the village had promised to assist and supervise the vaccination campaign.

He said Ahmad had also assured them that he would cooperate with the vaccination team. He said Haidar had the allowed police to release Ahmad. He said the Health Department had not moved an application against him. He said police took such complaints very seriously and would take action if a written complaint was moved.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 17^th, 2015.