Not a safe place: Swabi to miss national polio drive second time in a row

Officials cite security concerns behind postponement, 24 districts inoculated

PESHAWAR:

The security situation in Swabi compelled officials involved in polio eradication to hold a separate drive in the district. However, the first polio campaign of 2016 was launched in the rest of K-P on Monday.

The district was missing the drive for the second time due to multiple reasons; the last time a campaign took place, a polio worker was shot dead in Swabi. The National Immunisation Drive was launched in 24 districts across K-P, officials said. They added all districts had submitted a “preparedness report” to carry out the campaign. However, teams in Swabi felt less than safe.

“This is the second time a campaign has been postponed in the district,” a senior official dealing with the polio eradication campaign informed The Express Tribune.

He said earlier a polio coordinator was assassinated in the district, which panicked people involved in the inoculation drives, specifically the ground force (health workers). They voiced their concerns, after which the district administration postponed the campaign until later.

“The campaign was scheduled for November 14, 2015 but it was not carried out, and postponed to November 28, 2015,” the official said, requesting anonymity keeping in view the nature of the issue.

The official said the security situation in the district did not favour holding the campaign. “Although the situation appears to be calm, it is more cosmetic in nature than real.” Several search operations were carried out in the district and several people involved in terrorism activities were arrested.

At a special security meeting held in the provincial capital with Chief Secretary Ajmad Ali Khan, it was decided that a special plan would be chalked out for Swabi.

When contacted, Swabi Deputy Commissioner Matiullah Khan said the campaigns were also postponed because of a shortage of security personnel.

“Polio workers were worried after the polio coordinator was gunned down and that was one of the reasons why the November 14th campaign was postponed,” Matiullah told The Express Tribune.

“Most of the times, we request police personnel from other districts to come and help us provide security to teams in Swabi. However, since other districts need to provide security to their own teams, we decided to postpone the drive and hold it later in January,” said Matiullah. He added the other reason behind the delay was that the administration wanted at least a month-long gap between the two campaigns.

Over 5.27 million children will be inoculated against polio in the province and 14,215 mobile teams will be carrying out the campaign. Over 3,428 area incharges will be monitoring the campaign.

Two union councils (UC) in Abbottabad and 10 UCs in Chitral are covered by snow and are likely to miss the campaign. Campaign in Lakki Marwat will be held in two phases.

Locals bar workers from entering villages  

Over 600 children will not be administered polio drops in villages bordering Charsadda and Mohmand Agency. Residents there have been facing problems related to their national identity cards and in protest refused to inoculate their children against the crippling virus.

Over 16 years ago, these villages were merged into Charsadda. However, according to locals, both administrations from Mohmand Agency and Charsadda refused to accept them. Locals say they face problems in obtaining national identity cards as well as passports. And in living without a geographical identity, they are also deprived of health and educational benefits.

Villagers from Hafeez Kor and Major Ajam barred the entry of polio workers and boycotted the campaign. They held banners against the district government and Mohmand Agency administrations. DSP Shabqadar Muhammad Fayyaz, tehsildar Shair Qadir and Dr Feroz Shah discussed the situation with the protesting residents but to no avail.

Charsadda DC Captain (retd) Tahir Zafar Abbasi told The Express Tribune he held a meeting with the residents of these villages. He said the locals had issues with utility bills and the district administration will listen to their concerns.

“We will resolve the matter at any cost but this should not be encouraged or it will become a routine practice,” Abbasi told The Express Tribune, adding their concerns will be addressed but they will not be given a blank cheque.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 12^th, 2016.